Sea Scouts Use of Navy Hulls

DURING 1927 a bill was enacted by Congress authorizing the Navy Department to issue free of cost to Sea Scout units such surveyed boats and equipment as became available from time to time at the various navy yards. Without doubt many officers, especially those connected with supply, have wondered just what became of these boats and to what use the Sea Scouts were putting them.

The author is in command of the Boston Sea Scout Division to which a number of these Navy hulls have been issued and he will describe in this article the use to which they have been put during the past 6 years.

At the present moment the Boston Sea Scout Division has the following Navy hulls which have been issued to it in the past few years: two 35-ft. captain’s gigs, one 26-ft. captain’s gig, one 36-ft. motor launch, three 33-ft. motor launches, one 30-ft. motor launch, one 21-ft. motor dory, one 35-ft. pulling whaleboat, and one 28-ft. pulling whaleboat.

These hulls were put into the water by a crane at the navy yard and were towed away to the various points where they were to be docked. The first boat, received about five years ago, was a 33-ft. motor launch. For the first year it was operated just as it was received from the Navy with no changes. The second year the Navy GG engine was removed and a Big Six Nash automobile engine installed, the complete conversion and installation being done by Sea Scouts under the supervision of the boat’s skipper. At this same time, pipe stanchions and top frames were secured to the gunwales and a canvas covering was stretched over the entire hull with a spray shield down to the stem forward. This made the boat very comfortable and dry in heavy or rainy weather. With such a covering it has been found possible to sling hammocks thwartwise thereby providing room for 12 scouts to sleep when away on cruises. The tiller on this motor launch was removed and replaced with a wheel, the thwarts were removed and fore-and-aft lockers installed along the inside of the hull of sufficient width and height to be used as seats. Each scout has his own locker where he keeps his life belt, gear, clothing, etc. This particular motor launch now named the Donald McKay was at one time on board the Cincinnati. It has during the past five summer seasons cruised an average of over 1,000 nautical miles per season with about 25 Sea Scouts aboard.

The other two 33-ft. motor launches in the division, known as the Porpoise and the Annapolis, have remained exactly as they were received from the Navy with the exception of engines. The GG engines in both cases have been removed and HH engines installed. This has given more power to the hulls for towing purposes and has increased the speed by about 1 1/2 knots.

During the summer season of 1934 the Porpoise made a cruise of 21 days with 19 Sea Scouts and 3 officers on board. During this cruise they covered 1,287 nautical miles. The entire cost of the cruise for food, gasoline, and oil was $16.87 per Sea Scout. During this cruise they stopped over one night in New York, received permission to tie up at the Battery near the Aquarium, and with the permission of the park department erected some 10 pup tents on the green grass in Battery Park, where they camped for the night. Many New Yorkers were amused and interested in seeing this group camping in the heart of the city.

One of the 35-ft. captain’s gigs has been a most interesting experiment. It was received some three years ago and the scouts started in right away to change it into a more comfortable and economical boat. They first removed the large and rather poor engine it contained and installed a 45-hp. Lathrop Marine. After some experimenting with propellers and with the assistance of a Coast Guard mechanic the new engine was found to be most satisfactory. On actual test over a measured mile it was found to give speeds up to 14.7 miles per hour using from 3.5 to 5 gallons of gasoline per hour. At 10 miles per hour cruising speed the consumption was just under 4 gallons per hour.

The next move was to construct a pilothouse over the open cockpit to make it more comfortable in bad weather. This was done and very neatly contained the wheel, engine-room telegraph, chart table, necessary instruments, and a short wave radio telephone set. The metal cover aft was left just as it was received.

During the summer season of 1934 this gig cruised a total of 1,140 nautical miles with an average of 15 Sea Scouts on each cruise. It made 9 rescues at sea during the summer and took off and brought into port 50 persons from disabled craft. The radio telephone equipment played a most important part in this rescue work.

The 36-ft. motor launch which was received two years ago has undergone a complete transformation. It has been completely covered with pilot-house, cabin, crew’s quarters, and engine-room. The HH engine in it when received was removed and a KK engine installed in its place. The tiller was removed from the stern and a wheel installed in the pilothouse operating a quadrant on the rudder post. All of this work of reconstruction was done by 35 Sea Scouts assisted and supervised by several officers. This boat also has radio telephone equipment which many times last summer was the means of the boat making rescues. The most spectacular one occurred late in the fall when the boat was returning from a regatta in Boston Harbor with 35 Sea Scouts on board.

It was about one hour after dark. As the boat was coming up the harbor at a speed of 7 knots, the forward lookout reported seeing an SOS apparently being sent from a flashlight. The course was altered and an attempt made to get near the disabled boat. It was soon found that the boat was an excursion craft with 37 persons on board and they were high and dry on a sand bar. It was impossible to get nearer than 150 yards from them as the water was shallow and tide running out fast. A tender from the Sea Scout boat was sent over and two passengers at a time were taken off and placed on board. It was soon found that with 35 Sea Scouts and an additional 37 passengers on board the Sea Scout boat was much overloaded and the skipper would not start up the harbor. He pulled out into deeper water, anchored, and ordered his radio operator to get word to the City Point Coast Guard Station in Boston that he desired them to come out and take off half of his passengers. As the Coast Guard Station had no short wave radio receiving set, the contact had to be made through other stations. The operator sent out a message which was soon picked up by a 2-way radio set in an experimental radio automobile belonging to the Massachusetts State Police. The car was cruising in a town some 10 miles away. The operator of the car passed the message along to a police station where it was telephoned to the Coast Guard. In about 30 minutes from the time the message left the boat, the Coast Guard picket boat was alongside and took off 20 passengers and the two boats returned to port together. This was one of six such rescues that this boat made during last summer.

The 26-ft. captain’s gig, which was received about four years ago, remains the same in hull appearance with the exception of a mast which has been erected amidships for signaling purposes and radio aerial. Its GG motor has been removed and a 4-cylinder Dodge auto engine installed. Many refinements have been added to the engine all of which were constructed by the scouts themselves. Last summer this boat cruised 1,000 nautical miles and completed 5 rescues at sea. Being so small it carries a crew of only 8 Sea Scouts and 1 officer.

The 21-ft. motor dory is being used as a cruising boat on a river and seldom enters the open sea. She makes short evening cruises taking 6-8 Sea Scouts at a time.

The 28-ft. pulling whaleboat was reconstructed into a very neat 2-masted schooner. It was decked in, a cabin constructed containing 4 bunks, a cockpit made aft for the man at the tiller, and a large and heavy keel added. It carries a foresail, mainsail, and a fair-sized jib. Scouts make week-end cruises in this boat along the north shore of Massachusetts and are getting a great deal of real sea training in handling the sails. All work on the boat including the making of the sails was done by a small group of 8 Sea Scouts with very little help from any officer.

This small fleet of Navy hulls as described is being used every night and week-ends by the scouts and officers of the Boston Sea Scout Division for training cruises. Between June 1 and October 1, 1934, seven of these boats cruised a total distance of 5,958 nautical miles, made 38 rescues at sea, and took off and brought into port 251 persons. During this time 350 different Sea Scouts were taken on at least one cruise. The entire cost of all cruising, construction, and reconstruction of boats as well as hauling out and painting was financed by the scouts and officers.

This summer as part of the annual training afloat the Boston Sea Scout Division is operating a nightly patrol of Boston Harbor, one boat going out each night at 7:30 and cruising until nearly midnight, during which time it is on the lookout for disabled small craft, accidents, and general life-saving work. A far greater number of rescues were made this fall because more boats were equipped with short wave radio and because of a longer cruising season due to good weather.

What Boston is doing with her Navy hulls is no doubt a fair sample of what other Sea Scout divisions located in sea- coast towns and cities are doing with theirs. The Sea Scout movement very much appreciates being able to receive these hulls from the Navy Department and the author hopes that this article has acquainted naval officers with what the movement is trying to do with the hulls after receiving them.