USS Louise No. 2

Last updated
Schooner Louise No. 2.jpg
Louise No. 2 around the time of acquisition by the United States Navy in September 1917
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Louise No. 2
NamesakeJohn C. Fawcett's daughter
OwnerJoseph Fawcett, John C. Fawcett, William V. Abbott, Bruce B. McLean, and Watson S. Dolliver
OperatorWatson S. Dolliver, William V. Abbott, Joseph Fawcett, and John C. Fawcett
Builder Ambrose A. Martin, East Boston, Massachusetts
Launched30 April 1900
Christened30 April 1900
Completed1900
Acquired
  • Leased 10 September 1917
  • Delivered 19 September 1917
Commissioned20 September 1917
Decommissioned14 January 1919
FateReturned to owner 14 January 1919
NotesOperated as civilian schooner-rigged pilot boat Louise No. 2 1900-1917 and from 1919
General characteristics
Type Patrol vessel
Tonnage73 Gross register tons
Displacement73 ft (22 m)
Length104 ft (32 m)
Beam23 ft (7.0 m)
Draft13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
Propulsion Sails plus auxiliary engine
Sail plan Schooner-rigged
Speed9 knots
Complement16
Armament1 × .30-caliber (7.62-mm) machine gun

USS Louise No. 2 (SP-1230), sometimes written Louise # 2 and also referred to during her naval career as Louise and as Pilot Boat No. 2, was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919. The Louise, was a pilot boat from 1900 to 1917. She was a replacement for the pilot boat Columbia, that was washed ashore in 1898. After the World War I the Louise returned to pilot service until 1924 when she was purchased as a yacht. In 1924, the Boston pilot boat Pilot, took the place of the Louise.

Contents

Construction and service

Pilot boat

Pilot Boat Louise, No. 2 Louise pilot boat.jpg
Pilot Boat Louise, No. 2
John C. Fawcett (Boston pilot) John Fawcett (Boston Pilot).jpg
John C. Fawcett (Boston pilot)

Louise No. 2 was built as a civilian schooner-rigged pilot boat of the same name in 1900 by Ambrose A. Martin at East Boston, Massachusetts. She was a replacement for the ill-fated Columbia No. 8, that washed ashore at Sand Hills in Scituate, Massachusetts in the great 1898 Portland Gale. [1]

She was launched on 30 April 1900 at the Ambrose Martin shipyard at Jeffries Point, with around 1,000 in attendance. The boat is owned by Joseph Fawcett, John C. Fawcett, William V. Abbott, Bruce B. McLean, and Watson S. Dolliver. [2]

The Louise, No. 2, went on her maiden trip on Jun 25, 1900, from Lewis Wharf down the bay with 100 guests on board. She was a fast boat that made 12 knots on her trial trip. The Louise was named for John C. Fawcett's daughter. Her portrait was on the wall of the pilot's cabin. Congratulatory speeches were made by Mayor James Gould of Chelsea and others. [3]

On October 17, 1900, Dolliver was on the Louise when he boarded the Cunard Line steamship Saxonia, with two pilots. On return to the pilot boat, Erick Ahlquist and William Weaver almost drowned when a wave filled the yawl with water and overturned it. The steamer was able to rescue the men and take them aboard the Saxonia. [4] Pilots Joseph Fawcett, William V. Abbott, John C. Fawcett and Watson S. Dolliver sent a letter, that was posted in the Boston Globe, thanking Captain Pritchard and his officers and crew of the Saxonia for their heroic and successful efforts. [5]

Dolliver was on the Louise when he picked up two escaped prisoners from Deer Island Prison, during a storm, in a raft near Graves Lightship on October 8, 1906. [6]

On March 1, 1911, the Louise, No. 2, crashed into the British tramp steamship Pinar del Rio, in bad weather near the lighthouse channel. The Louise was trying to take off a pilot from the steamer when the crash occurred. The crew was transferred to the pilot boat Adams, No. 5. [7]

Acquired by U.S. Navy

On 10 September 1917 the U.S. Navy acquired her under a free lease from her owner, the Boston Pilots Relief Society, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I. She was enrolled in the Naval Coast Defense Reserve on 15 September 1917, delivered to the Navy on 19 September 1917, and commissioned on 20 September 1917 as USS Louise No. 2 (SP-1230). [8] [9]

Assigned to the 1st Naval District in northern New England and based at Boston, Massachusetts, Liberty III served for the rest of World War I as a pilot boat in Boston Harbor as she had in civilian use, guiding inbound and outbound ships through the defensive sea area of the Port of Boston. [8]

The Navy decommissioned Louise No. 2 on 14 January 1919 and returned her to the Boston Pilots Relief Society the same day. [8] [9]

End of service

On December 9, 1924, the pilot boat Louise, No. 2, was withdrawn from pilot service and replaced with the pilot boat Pilot. The Pilot was in service for over fifty years before she was sold in 1976. She became the longest-serving pilot boat in American history. [10] [11]

On July 15, 1925, the pilot boat Louise was sold to W. R. Farrell of Long Wharf and converted into a yacht. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Sea Hawk</i> Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

USS Sea Hawk (SP-2365) was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.

USS <i>Alacrity</i> (SP-206)

USS Alacrity (SP-206) was a steel cruising yacht that served in the US Navy as a section patrol craft. It was built by Pusey & Jones at Wilmington, Delaware for W. A. Bradford in 1910 then sold to John H. Blodgett of Boston.

<i>Gypsy</i> (SP-55) Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

Gypsy (SP-55) was the planned designation for a motorboat the United States Navy acquired in 1917 for use as a patrol vessel but which was destroyed by a fire before she could be commissioned.

USS <i>Lynx II</i> Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

USS Lynx II (SP-730), later USS SP-730, was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel and harbor dispatch boat from 1917 to 1919.

USS <i>Patrol No. 1</i> Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

USS Patrol No. 1 (SP-45), often rendered as USS Patrol #1, was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919.

USS <i>Manatee</i> (SP-51) Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

The first USS Manatee (SP-51) was an armed motorboat that served as a United States Navy patrol vessel from 1917 until sometime shortly after World War I.

USS <i>Liberty III</i> Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

USS Liberty III (SP-1229), sometimes written Liberty # 3, and also referred to during her naval career as Liberty and as Pilot Boat Liberty, No. 3, was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919. The Liberty was a pilot boat from 1896-1917. She was a replacement for the pilot boat D. J. Lawlor. After World War I, the Liberty returned to pilot service until 1934 when she was purchased as a yacht.

<i>Columbia</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Columbia was a 19th-century pilot boat built C. & R. Poillon shipyard in 1879 for Sandy Hook and New York pilots that owned the Isaac Webb, which was lost off Quonochontaug Beach, Long Island in July 1879. She was run down by the Guion Line steamer SS Alaska in 1883. A second pilot-boat, also named Columbia, was built by Ambrose A. Martin at East Boston in 1894 that had a unique spoon bow and was extremely fast. She was thrown ashore in the great Portland Gale, and remained on the Sand Hills beach in Scituate, Massachusetts for over thirty years as a marine curiosity. The Louise No. 2 replaced the ill-fated Columbia.

<i>Richard K. Fox</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Richard K. Fox, first named Lillie, was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1876 for Boston Pilots. She was designed by model by Dennison J. Lawlor. She was one of the most graceful and attractive of the Boston pilot-boats and represented a trend toward deep-bodied boats. She was later sold to the New York pilots and renamed Richard K. Fox in honor of the famous sportsman and publisher of the Police Gazette. In the age of steam, she was sold in 1896 to the Marine Hospital Service.

<i>Minerva</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

Minerva was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1896 by Ambrose A. Martin of East Boston, Massachusetts. She was owned by Franklin B. Wellock who was a Boston pilot for more than 55 years. The pilot-boat was named for his daughter, Minerva Hill. She was sold to Plymouth parties in 1901 to be used as a fishing vessel.

<i>Eben D. Jordan</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Eben D. Jordan was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1883 by Ambrose A. Martin in East Boston for Captain Thomas Cooper. Her namesake was Eben Dyer Jordan, the founder of the Jordan Marsh department stores. In 1892, she was sold to the New York Sandy Hook pilots. She was one of the last of the pilot-boats that were discarded in an age of steam and electricity in 1896.

<i>Adams</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Adams was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat, built in 1888 by Moses Adams at Essex, Massachusetts for Captain John H. Jeffries. She was named for Melvin O. Adams, an American attorney and railroad executive. Her design was by yacht designer Edward Burgess, known for his America's Cup defenders. In 1901, she was one of only five pilot-boats left in the Boston fleet. In 1912, she was sold to haul gravel to Boston, then sold again where she landed in the Portuguese immigrant trade. She was sunk by enemy action during World War I.

<i>Varuna</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Varuna was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat, built by Montgomery & Howard at Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1890, for a group of Boston pilots. She was designed by yacht designer Edward Burgess, known for his America's Cup defenders. She was the first centerboard pilot-boat in operation in the Massachusetts Bay. The Varuna went out of service in 1912 because of the introduction of steam power into pilot-boats. She was later sold to Stephen Simmons to be used as a trading vessel between ports in the Spanish Main in 1913.

Edward E. Barrett Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Edward E. Barrett, or Edward E. Bartlett, was a 19th-century two-masted Sandy Hook pilot boat, built by C. & R. Poillon in 1883 and designed by William Townsend. She helped transport New Jersey maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Barrett ended her pilot commission and was sold in 1904.

<i>Pilot</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Pilot was a pilot boat built in 1924 and designed by yacht designer William Starling Burgess. She was purchased by the Boston Pilots' Association to take the place of the pilot boat Louise that was withdrawn from service in 1924. The Pilot was in service for over fifty years before she was sold in 1976. She became the longest-serving pilot boat in American history.

<i>Friend</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Friend was a 19th-century pilot boat built by Daniel D. Kelley & Holmes East Boston shipyard in 1848 for Boston pilots. She helped transport Boston maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the Boston Harbor. The Friend was one of the last of the low sided, straight sheared schooners built in the 1840s for Boston pilots. The second Boston pilot boat Friend was built in 1887. Her name came from the older Friend that was in the service in the late 1840s. Captain Thomas Cooper sold the Friend to New York pilots in 1893. Cooper replaced the Friend with the pilot-boat Columbia in 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Boutlier McLean</span> Bruce B. McLean, Sandy Hook Pilot

Captain Bruce Boutlier McLean was a 19th-century Boston maritime pilot, best known for being a pilot on the pilot boat America. He was a leader among the branch pilots of Boston for 35 years. McLean was a pilot and owner of the pilot boat Liberty. He died in Everett, Massachusetts, in 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John C. Fawcett</span> Boston Pilot

John Crossland Fawcett was a 19th-century American Boston harbor pilot. He is best known for being a member of the Boston Pilots' Association for 19 years. He was an owner and pilot on the pilot boats Columbia and Louise. He died by suicide in his cabin on the pilot boat Louise in 1908 off Half Way Rock.

Ambrose A. Martin, was a 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts yacht and boat shipbuilder. He built the Ambrose A. Martin shipyard in 1882 at Jeffries Point, East Boston, where he built many notable Boston yachts and schooners. Martin died in Boston in 1934.

<i>Gracie</i> (pilot boat) Pilot boat

Gracie was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1869 at the Edward A. Costigan shipyard in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The schooner was used by Boston pilots and was sold to North Carolina pilots in 1881.

References

  1. Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: WoodenBoat. p. 73. ISBN   9780937822692.
  2. "Launch Of Pilot Boat Louise". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 1 May 1900. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  3. "New Pilot Boat Louise Proves Speedy". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 29 Jun 1900. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  4. "Brink Of Death. Upset From a Yawl in a Terrific Gale Outside of Port". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 18 Oct 1900. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  5. "Capt Pritchard Seamanship". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 19 Oct 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  6. "Escaped Prisoners On Frail Raft Rescued In Nick Of Time". Buffalo Evening News Buffalo. New York. 8 Oct 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  7. "Pilot Boat Louise Crippled". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 1 Mar 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  8. 1 2 3 "Louise No. 2 (S. P. 1230)". www.history.navy.mil. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  9. 1 2 "NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Louise No. 2 (SP 1230)". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  10. "New Pilot Boat Greeted By Steam Craft On Trial Trip Down Harbor". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 1924-12-09. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  11. "History". pilotbrooklyn.com. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  12. "Sale of Pilot Boat Louise". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 1925-07-15. Retrieved 2020-09-06.