USS Argus (PY-14)

The American motor yacht ''Haida'' was built in Germany in 1929 for Max C. Fleischmann and later saw service in the United States Navy during World War II as patrol yacht USS ''Argus'' (PY-14) and USC&GS ''Pioneer''. In 1946 she returned to her role as a private yacht under a sequence of names and owners, and after a further refit in 2016 is now ''Haida 1929''.

Construction and yacht service

The motor yacht ''Haida'' was built in 1929 at Kiel, Germany by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft for Max C. Fleischmann of Santa Barbara, California, the younger son of Charles Fleischmann, founder of the eponymous yeast company of Cincinnati. When his brother Julius died suddenly in 1925, Max assumed management control of the company but did not wish to move from California and his other interests, including yachting, so stood down from that role in 1929. Like several others over the years, the yacht was named for the Haida people, indigenous to Haida Gwaii islands, whose skills as seafarers impressed Fleischmann greatly.

''Haida'' was designed by the eminent New York firm of Cox & Stevens and her keel was laid in 1927. The yacht has a length overall of and length between perpendiculars of , a beam of , a depth of and a draft of . She measured . ''Haida'' is still powered by her original pair of diesel engines, also made by Krupp, totalling , driving twin propellers and giving her a speed of . Unusually, Fleischmann chose to have the yacht painted black.

Following completion at Kiel, ''Haida'' was delivered, via New York and the Panama Canal to California and her berth at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club (Fleischman had donated over half of the cost of the construction of a breakwater at Santa Barbara). During the following decade the owner cruised extensively in West Coast waters, from Alaska to Mexico, following his interests in marine science and fishing.

US Navy service

The yacht was acquired by the Navy on 25 October 1940 from Mrs. Max C. Fleischmann of Glenbrook, Nevada; converted at Long Beach, California by the Craig Shipbuilding Company for naval service and renamed ''Argus'' on 14 November 1940. Named for the Argus (a monster with a hundred eyes supposedly slain by the Greek mythological messenger of the gods, Hermes), she was the second U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. She was commissioned on 13 February 1941.

''Argus'' arrived in San Francisco on 19 February 1941 and began duty patrolling San Francisco Bay as a unit of the Patrol force, 12th Naval District. That assignment lasted until May 1941, when she was reassigned to what appears to have been a successor organization – Patrol Squadron 1, Local Defense Force, 12th Naval District. Her duty, however, remained substantially the same as before, patrolling San Francisco Bay. She continued to perform this task until decommissioned on 17 September. She was then transferred to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey

The Coast and Geodetic Survey modified her for her new role, renamed her ''Pioneer'' (their second of that name), and placed her in service on 17 September 1941. ''Pioneer'' was able to accomplish little survey work before the entry of the United States into World War II led to her return to the U.S. Navy on 16 March 1942 under Executive Order 9072 of 24 February 1942.

Return to US Navy

''Pioneer'' was returned to the Navy on 16 March 1942 and, after reconversion at the General Engineering & Drydock Company, she was recommissioned at San Francisco on 18 April, again as ''Argus''. The converted yacht resumed her patrols of San Francisco Bay under the auspices of the Commandant, 12th Naval District, and continued that duty for the remainder of her naval career. There were two notable events during her wartime career. The first occurred when ''Argus'' rescued the 60 survivors from the Liberty ship , which had been torpedoed and sunk by the on 30 October 1944. ''I-12'', after ramming and sinking the lifeboats and rafts, had then machine-gunned the 70 survivors in the water, killing 10. A Pan American Airways plane spotted ''John A. Johnson''s remaining crew soon thereafter, and ''Argus'' recovered them at 21:35 on 30 October. She disembarked them at San Francisco on 3 November. and then teamed up to sink ''I-12'' ten days later.

In the second event, ''Argus'' participated in the establishment of a weather station on the uninhabited French Clipperton Island, southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Departing San Francisco on 4 December 1944 with meteorology, meteorological personnel embarked, the converted yacht reached the island a week later and landed her passengers. With the American colors hoisted over the island, the naval weather station was set up that day, supported at the outset by ''Argus'' (the Americans withdrew in 1945).

The yacht was decommissioned at San Francisco on 15 April 1946. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 21 May, and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 30 October for disposal.

Further yacht service

The yacht was sold in late 1946 to Egyptian cotton magnate Maurice Ada (or Adda) and renamed ''Sarina''. Now painted in traditional white, she was based at the Alexandria Yacht Club. A close friend of Farouk of Egypt, King Farouk, when he was deposed and exiled in 1952 the yacht was moved to Cannes, France.

In the late 1960s ''Sarina'' was briefly owned by Larry Green, an American businessman involved in the motor trade, and was then sold to former British Member of Parliament Loel Guinness (politician), Loel Guinness in 1969. His membership of the Royal Yacht Squadron entitled the yacht to fly the White ensign when he was aboard. Guinness owned her a decade, systematically restoring and enhancing her each winter, while cruising in the Mediterranean in the summers. In 1979 in declining health he sold ''Sarina'' to the Australian music entrepreneur and film producer Robert Stigwood. He installed satellite communications, concealing the dome in a new additional false funnel. After two years, after extensive cruising throughout Europe and the Caribbean, Stigwood sold ''Sarina'' (without the dummy funnel) to a British-resident American art collector, Stanley J. Seeger, who renamed her ''Rosenkavalier''.

In 1988 ''Rosenkavalier'' was sold to the three brothers Hiroshi, Takashi and Yasushi Isaka, owners of a property development company in Yokohama, Japan. She received a major refit in Thailand during 1991 and was sold the following year to Greek-Cypriot, Andreas Liveras, already established in the yacht charter business. A Swiss-based businessman bought the yacht in 1999, renamed her ''Haida G'', and set about another major restoration in France and Turkey, including a complete refit of the original Krupp diesel engines.

In 2011 ''Haida G'' was again sold and renamed ''Dona Amelia''. She received a further extensive refit at Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall in 2016/2017, after which she was renamed ''Haida 1929'' by her new owner. Her tonnage is assessed as 720 Gross tonnage, GT and 216 net tonnage, NT.

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argus
Patrol vessels of the United States Navy
World War II patrol vessels of the United States
Ships built in Kiel
1929 ships
Ships of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
Survey ships of the United States
Motor yachts