Overfalls Foundation to host Anchor Drop ceremony Dec. 31

Ahoy! All citizens, families and visitors are invited to the 13th annual New Year’s Eve Anchor Drop, courtesy of the Overfalls Foundation.

This local Lewes holiday tradition will kick off at 2330 hours (that’s 11:30 p.m. for landlubbers) Sunday, Dec. 31, at Canalfront Park in Lewes, alongside the Lightship Overfalls (LV-118), a National Historic Landmark. Attendees and the ship’s crew will watch as the lighted ceremonial anchor will begin its symbolic drop from the top of the vessel’s tall midship mast and touch the main deck at the stroke of midnight along with a blast of the ship’s whistle.

The tradition dates to 2011, when foundation members developed a nautical and somewhat whimsical approach to improve community awareness of the ship and give New Year’s Eve revelers an opportunity to celebrate the evening with a National Historic Landmark. Instead of a ball, the three-and-a-half-foot-tall wooden anchor is wrapped with lights and placed in position early in the evening. Folks in attendance are always in good spirits, despite some damp and often cold weather.

Built in Maine in 1938, the LV-118 was the last lightship commissioned by the U.S. Lighthouse Service and was also the last built using riveted construction, as ship construction later shifted to the use of welded steel plate as the preferred method.

Donated by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1973, the ship was brought to Lewes and rechristened Overfalls in honor of the nearby Overfalls Lightship Station, and the sailors and ships that had been stationed there. Thanks to the foundation, its many benefactors and the never-ending efforts of the volunteers who do everything from chipping and painting the decks to overhauling and preserving the engine components and living quarters to giving guided tours, the ship was lovingly restored and was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011. It is the only such landmark in southern Delaware and the only maritime landmark in the state. The ship is open to the public for tours in the warmer months but is always available for private tours throughout the year.

The Anchor Drop is weather dependent, and cancellations will be posted online at overfalls.org/events.