The M/V ''Commander'' is a historic

motor vessel A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The names of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V. Engines for motorships were developed during the 1890s, and by th ...

built in 1917 and designed by Beele Wallace Co. of

Morehead City, North Carolina Morehead City is a port town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast. His ...

, United States. She is homeported at the Haverstraw Marina in

West Haverstraw West Haverstraw is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village incorporated in 1883 in the town of Haverstraw, New York, Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York, Rockland County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is located no ...

Rockland County, New York Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of t ...

. She is a wooden 275-passenger excursion boat approximately 60 feet in length, 25 feet in breadth (), and weighing 70 tons. ''See also:'' MV ''Commander'' was built as an excursion boat for service between Rockaway and Brooklyn, New York. She was leased to 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 ...

on 17 September 1917 and commissioned on 3 January 1918. She operated around the

New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...

during

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 ...

to outfit

submarine chasers A submarine chaser or subchaser is a small naval vessel that is specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare. Many of the American submarine chasers used in World War I found their way to Allied nations by way of Lend-Lease in World War II. ...

and tow manned

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off the entrances of

New York Harbor New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

. The ''Commander'' was decommissioned from the Navy on 5 February 1919 and returned to her civilian owner. The M/V ''Commander'' spent the next 8 decades with Rockaway Boat Line, one of the longest uninterrupted services in excursion boat history in the United States. She is now operated in the Hudson River Highlands as an excursion vessel. The ''Commander'' is the only former U.S. Naval vessel of World War I vintage still operating under her own motor power and in its original condition. She was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1984. And in late 2019, the boat was listed for sale, and as of early 2020 she has not been sold.

References

Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) 1917 ships Rockland County, New York National Register of Historic Places in Rockland County, New York Ships built in North Carolina {{RocklandCountyNY-NRHP-stub