The third USS ''Sea Gull'' (SP-544) was a wooden

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. ''Sea Gull'' was built during 1902 as ''Heather'' by the

Greenport Basin and Construction Company The Greenport Basin and Construction Company, known by various names throughout its history, but most recently named the Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding Company, is a shipbuilder in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York. It was established in the 19th ...

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, was enrolled in the Naval Coast Defense Reserve on 1 June 1917 following the entry of the

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into

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; and commissioned shortly afterward.

World War I operations

''Sea Gull'' patrolled the waters of the

4th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

during her

service. Based at

Essington Essington is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire, England, located near the city of Wolverhampton and towns of Walsall, Bloxwich, Cannock and Brewood. The villages of Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Coven, Penkridge and Featherston ...

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, she cruised off the Essington Shipbuilding Company yard and its environs until the war's end. On 8 October 1917, a heavy storm swept across

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inlan ...

, threatening to scatter the flotilla, of which ''Sea Gull'' was a part, on patrol duty there. The patrol boat dragged anchor at 07:30 hours and fouled ''Sea Gull'' before getting underway and clearing ''Sea Gull''. In the rough seas, both patrol boats dropped their anchors and moored off Brown Shoal Buoy in the hope of riding out the storm, which did not let up. ''Sea Gull'', unable to get underway, drifted off into the pre-dawn darkness on 9 October 1917, dragging her anchors and sending out SOS signals. ''Sea Gull'' eventually was taken under tow by another vessel and made haven behind the

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, on 9 October 1917 by 08:15 hours. She found ''Vidofner'', which had arrived under her own power, already there.USS ''Vidofner'' (SP-402) article in the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v3/vidofner.htm.

Disposal

Decommissioned at

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, on 27 November 1918, ''Sea Gull'' was ordered returned to her owner on 2 June 1919 and struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

Notes

References

External links

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

at navsource.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Sea Gull (SP-544) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Greenport, New York 1902 ships