*''Note: This ship should not be confused with USS ''Dawn'' (SP-26), which was in commission during the same era.'' USS ''Dawn'' (SP-37) was the proposed designation for a

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

that never actually served 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 ...

. ''Dawn'' was a private

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...

built in 1916 by the F.C. Adams Shipbuilding Company at Booth Bay, Maine. On 14 May 1917, the U.S. Navy ordered her owner, Franklin Farrel Jr. of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

, to deliver her to the Navy for service as a patrol boat in

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 she was registered accordingly with the naval

section patrol A Section Patrol Craft was a civilian vessel registered by the United States Navy for potential wartime service before, during, and shortly after World War I. Historical overview The SP/ID registration system In 1916, with World War I raging a ...

designation SP-37. However, the Navy cancelled its

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

for her in June 1917 and returned her to Farrel in December 1917 without commissioning her.

References

NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Dawn (SP 37)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawn (SP-37) Cancelled ships of the United States Navy Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Boothbay, Maine 1916 ships