USS Surf (SP-518)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Surf.

Surf, circa 1903
History
United States
Name	USS Surf (proposed)
Namesake	Previous name retained (proposed)
Owner	John Alton Harriss
Operator	American Red Cross
Port of registry	New York
Builder	Ramage & Ferguson, Leith
Yard number	159
Launched	17 September 1898
Completed	1898
Acquired	Made available to US Navy 1917
Commissioned	Never
Fate	Returned to owner 29 September 1917
Notes	Operated as civilian steam yacht Surf
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel (proposed)
Tonnage	390 GRT; 155 NRT
Length	198 ft (60 m) overall 177.9 ft (54.2 m) registered
Beam	24.55 ft (7.5 m)
Draft	11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)
Depth	14.15 ft (4.3 m)
Installed power	109 NHP
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion engine 1 × screw
Sail plan	schooner
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h)
Crew	18

USS Surf (SP-518) was a steam yacht that was offered to the United States Navy in 1917 but was never accepted.

History

Surf was built as a civilian steam yacht in 1898 by Ramage & Ferguson at Leith Scotland, for E. D. Lambert of Berkshire, England.

Her later American owner, John H. Hanan, a millionaire shoe manufacturer, who had bought and used her for cruising in 1916, sold her to John Alton Harriss a New York businessman and former Physician of Manhattan, New York City in 1917.[1] Harriss offered her to the U.S. Navy for use as a patrol vessel during World War I.[2]

Dr. Harriss loaned the Surf to the Navy and the American Red Cross for use as an Ambulance ship in May 1917, he assumed all the costs for painting her in Red Cross livery, her maintenance and the salaries of the doctors and nurses detailed to her, as well as offering his own services.[3][4] The loan was made on the basis that he be allowed to serve as the Medical Director on the yacht. She could accommodate 25 patients.[2]

The Navy assigned her the section patrol number SP-518 but never commissioned her, and returned her to Harris on 29 September 1917. The threat of submarines had put paid to the idea.[5]

Irish American tenor singer John McCormack (1884–1945) singing on the "Surf", Harriss sitting with folded arms by the piano

From 30 July 1918 she started taking 120 Army patients a time from the United States General Hospital No. 1 on day trips, three times a week, along the Hudson River as a recreation boat, musical entertainment being provided.[5]

USS Surf, Society's floating palace now an ambulance ship

References

1. "Dr. John Harriss rites tomorrow (obit)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York). 13 October 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 5 September 2018. Dr. John Harriss died age 63, former Deputy Police Commissioner
2. "Yacht given to U.S. as Ambulance Boat". The Sun (New York, New York). 28 May 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
3. "New York Physician gives yacht to U.S. for Hospital Ship". Muncie Evening Press (Muncie, Indiana) 01 Jun 1917. 1 June 1917. p. 8. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
4. "Surf (SP 518)". navsource.org. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
5. "120 Convalescent Soldiers taken up Hudson on yacht". New-York Tribune (New York, New York). 31 July 1918. p. 4.

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: Names beginning with the letter S
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: Surf (SP 518)