.jpg) USSKatie (SP-660) hauled out of the water duringWorld War I | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSKatie |
| Namesake | Previous name retained |
| Builder | C. E. Bush,Crittenden,Virginia |
| Completed | 1915[1] or 1916[2] |
| Acquired | 18 May 1917 (delivery) |
| Commissioned | 24 April 1917 |
| Decommissioned | 22 October 1918 |
| Fate | Returned to owner 22 October 1918 |
| Status | Extant, in private use |
| Notes | Operated ascivilianmotorboatKatie 1916-1917 and since 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Patrol vessel |
| Tonnage | 15gross register tons |
| Length | 48 ft (15 m) |
| Beam | 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) |
| Draft | 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) |
| Speed | 10knots |
| Complement | 4 |
| Armament | None |
USSKatie (SP-660) is a civilianmotor vessel which was commissioned into theUnited States Navy as apatrol vessel from 1917 to 1918.
Katie was built as acivilianmotorboat of the same name by C. E. Bush atCrittenden,Virginia, in 1915[3] or 1916.[4] In 1917, the U.S. Navychartered her from her owner, theVirginia Fish and Oyster Commission, for use as asection patrol boat duringWorld War I. She wascommissioned as USSKatie (SP-660) on 24 April 1917, although the Navy did not take delivery of her until 18 May 1917, atNorfolk, Virginia.
Assigned to the5th Naval District and based at Crittenden,Katie operated as a shore and section patrol boat until less than three weeks before the end of World War I. Her patrols extended from Norfolk and theJames River to the lower reaches of thePotomac River and theChesapeake Bay.
Katie, now under command of Boatswain O. W. Hudson,[5] wasdecommissioned on 22 October 1918 and was returned to the Virginia Fish and Oyster Commission the same day.
Katie served the Virginia Fish and Oyster Commission until she was sold to theRedmond Lumber Corporation in 1956. She had two more owners before 1963, when William C. Poole purchased her. Poole used her both as a privateyacht and as aUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary operational facility.
In 2000,Katie was sold to William Stratton, then on 18 September 2001 to Leslie Porter. He performed restoration work on her and moved her toBelhaven,North Carolina.
In October 2003, William Patterson purchasedKatie. He moved her toRichmond, Virginia, and made plans to take her to woodenboat shows on the Chesapeake Bay. She remains extant.
After years left docked in Richmond, VA the “Katie” sustained many damages, including a fire and multiple sinking s. Despite that she has persevered and was acquired by a small collective of friends. Katy Best, Caitlin Shiflett, Nathan Conway and Joshua Dziegiel are in the process of restoring “Katie” to her former glory. She is still water worthy and takes many pleasure trips up and down the James River even participating in the 2021 Christmas Parade. She has an Instagram account as well, This Old Boat.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.