USS ''Zoraya'' (SP-235) was an armed

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 ...

that 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 ...

from 1917 to 1919. ''Zoraya'' was a

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

en- hulled steam yacht constructed in 1901 by J. M. Bayles and Sons at

Port Jefferson, New York Port Jefferson (informally known as "Port Jeff") is an incorporated village in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. Officially known as the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson, the population ...

, for Ms. Atala W. Thayer. The U.S. Navy acquired her from a later owner, Mr. William Biel, for

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 ...

service with the section patrol on 16 August 1917. She was armed, designated SP-235, and commissioned at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on 17 December 1917. For the duration of the war, USS ''Zoraya'' served under the command of the

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3rd 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 ...

, and patrolled the coasts of New York and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. The Navy returned ''Zoraya'' to her owners on 8 February 1919, some three months after the end of hostilities.

External links

Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center: Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: Zoraya (American Steam Yacht, 1901). Served as USS Zoraya (SP-235) in 1917–1919.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoraya (SP-235) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Steam yachts Ships built in New York (state) 1901 ships