Helwick LV14 - Christianity Afloat
| The Helwick LV14 was last stationed off Rhossili, on the
Gower Peninsula, in South Wales. The beam from the Light tower could be seen from 25 miles
away and warned sailors of the Helwick Swatch, a treacherous sand bank. Weighing 550 tons with an overall length of 137 feet, the Helwick was built to withstand all the might of the sea. It took eleven people to crew the vessel with seven on board at any one time. In 1975 landing platforms were added so that the crews could be changed by helicopter. A Lightship has no propulsion of its own because most of its life is at anchor; Helwick LV14 was towed by the tender THV Winston Churchill from the Swansea Depot. |
In 1988 the churches in Cardiff were called together by the Cardiff Bay
Development Corporation to discuss the role of Christianity in the bay area. The churches
were seen as playing an important part in the community and should be involved at the very
hub of the new developments. To this end Helwick LV14 was purchased and restoration begun
to create a floating Christian Centre.
The Lightship provides a bold central focus for the Churches of Wales and will be home to
a centre for counselling, worship, exhibitions, meetings, a book shop, refreshment area
and the cabins will be used for small residential stays, especially designed for youth
groups.
The vessel is a major attraction in its own right, but like all charities, the project
depends on working in partnership with other organisations in a mutually beneficial way.
The Lightship is run as a "non-profit making" venture and so we rely heavily on
volunteers and contributions from private industry and public support and of course the
churches.
Helwick LV14 is located in the heart of the new Cardiff Bay. The docks, which were once busy exporting coal from the South Wales Valleys, are now set to be the focus of a modern waterfront complex making Cardiff a major European Maritime City.
The Lightship is docked near Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre and Norwegian Church Arts Centre on Harbour Drive and is within easy reach of all amenities of Cardiff Bay with its' cafes, restaurants, hotels, cinemas etc and the new Welsh Assembly Building when completed.
With the expansion of the public transport system and the construction of link roads to the M4 and to the Cardiff-Wales Airport, Cardiff Bay has become a magnet for businesses and visitors from around the world.
Christianity in the Capital of Wales should live in its heart