Name USS Wachusetts Completed 1916 Struck 25 October 1919 Builder W. A. and S. D. Moss | Namesake Previous name retained Acquired 26 April 1917 Length 31 m | |
Fate Apparently transferred to Bureau of Fisheries 25 October 1919 (but see text) | ||
USS Wachusetts (SP-548) was an armed motorboat that served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1919. She was renamed USS SP-548 during her period of service.
Wachusetts was built as the private motorboat W.C.T.U. in 1916 by W. A. and S. D. Moss of Friendship, Maine. She had been renamed Wachusetts by the time she was acquired by the U.S. Navy in the spring of 1917 from the Howard Lumber Company of Boston, Massachusetts, for World War I service. The Navy took possession of her on 26 April 1917 and designated her SP-548.
Little is known of her activities because her deck logs have been lost. As of 1 February 1918, Wachusetts was operating out of the section base at Boothbay, Maine, probably on local patrol duties, under the aegis of Commandant, 1st Naval District. Her commanding officer as of that time was Ensign J. B. Eckroll, USNRF.
The name Wachusetts apparently was dropped somewhat later to avoid confusion with USS Wachusett (ID-1840) -- a cargo ship that commissioned in January 1918 and served until October 1919—and the boat became simply USS SP-548.
Confusion exists as to her ultimate fate. She was struck from the Navy List on 25 October 1919 and reportedly transferred to the Bureau of Fisheries simultaneously. However, subsequent lists of vessels operated by the Bureau of Fisheries fail to account for her.