USRC Yamacraw (1909)
Encyclopedia
USRC Yamacraw, was a steel-hull flush-deck cutter that served in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
from 1909 to 1937 and was the sister ship to the USRC Tahoma
. She was launched on 24 October 1908 by New York Shipbuilding
at Camden, New Jersey
. Her homeport was Savannah, Georgia
where she enforced customs laws, conducted search and rescue operations and destroyed derelict vessels. After the start of World War I she also enforced neutrality laws along the eastern seaboard. During a search and rescue attempt on 4 March 1917 assisting the steamer Louisiana run aground near Ocean City, Maryland
, the Yamacraw lost 10 of her crew. Several citations for heroism were awarded posthumously. After the United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917, Yamacraw was assigned to the U.S. Navy but retained her Coast Guard
crew. She served as a patrol vessel in the Chesapeake Bay
to Nantucket Shoals
area until called for convoy duty to Europe. During convoy missions escorting merchant vessels she performed a rescue, saving four survivors of a torpedo attack. On escort duty Yamacraw cruised over 36,000 miles. Upon return to Coast Guard control after the war, she returned to routine patrol work at Savannah. In the Spring of 1921 she served as part of the International Ice Patrol
, returning to Savannah after July. After the passage of Prohibition
, she took an active role in law enforcement along the southeastern coast. Yamacraw was decommissioned at Curtis Bay, Maryland on 11 December 1937 and sold for $10,300 on 13 April 1938.
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
from 1909 to 1937 and was the sister ship to the USRC Tahoma
USRC Tahoma (1909)
USRC Tahoma, was a steel-hull flush deck cutter that served in the United States Revenue Cutter Service from 1909 to 1914 with the Bering Sea Patrol and was the sister ship to the USRC Yamacraw.-Commissioning and trip to homeport:...
. She was launched on 24 October 1908 by New York Shipbuilding
New York Shipbuilding
The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...
at Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
. Her homeport was Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
where she enforced customs laws, conducted search and rescue operations and destroyed derelict vessels. After the start of World War I she also enforced neutrality laws along the eastern seaboard. During a search and rescue attempt on 4 March 1917 assisting the steamer Louisiana run aground near Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
, the Yamacraw lost 10 of her crew. Several citations for heroism were awarded posthumously. After the United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917, Yamacraw was assigned to the U.S. Navy but retained her Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
crew. She served as a patrol vessel in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
to Nantucket Shoals
Nantucket Shoals
Nantucket Shoals is an area of dangerously shallow water in the Atlantic Ocean that extends from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, eastward for and southeastward for ; in places water depth can be as shallow as . Depth soundings are unpredictable due to constant change from strong currents. The...
area until called for convoy duty to Europe. During convoy missions escorting merchant vessels she performed a rescue, saving four survivors of a torpedo attack. On escort duty Yamacraw cruised over 36,000 miles. Upon return to Coast Guard control after the war, she returned to routine patrol work at Savannah. In the Spring of 1921 she served as part of the International Ice Patrol
International Ice Patrol
The International Ice Patrol is an organization with the purpose of monitoring the presence of icebergs in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and reporting their movements for safety purposes. It is operated by United States Coast Guard but is funded by the 13 nations interested in trans-Atlantic...
, returning to Savannah after July. After the passage of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, she took an active role in law enforcement along the southeastern coast. Yamacraw was decommissioned at Curtis Bay, Maryland on 11 December 1937 and sold for $10,300 on 13 April 1938.