USS Nokomis (SP-609)

Nokomis II was a steam yacht designed by Henry J. Gielow of Gielow & Orr built as hull 360 by Pusey & Jones, Wilmington, Delaware for Horace E. Dodge of Detroit, Michigan launched 27 December 1916.{{cite magazine |date=February 1917 |title=Steam Yacht Nokomis |magazine=The Rudder |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=79–80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mS0jAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA79 |access-date=29 October 2018}}{{cite web |last=Conner |first=William J. |title=Nokomis II hull #360 under construction |publisher=Pusey and Jones Corporation photograph collection (Accession 1972.350), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807 |date=28 April 1917 |url=http://digital.hagley.org/72350_1686?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=38053cbe907d04744e89&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0 |access-date=29 October 2018}}Usually seen as just the "new" or "second" Nakomis or just Nakomis in contemporary industry and news reports. Trials took place 28 April 1917.{{cite web |last=Conner |first=William J. |title=Nokomis, built for Horace E. Dodge, trial trip |publisher=Pusey and Jones Corporation photograph collection (Accession 1972.350), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807 |date=28 April 1917 |url=http://digital.hagley.org/72350_2020?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=ce060cc5a5481a180cbd&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=9 |access-date=29 October 2018}} Though purchased by the Navy before significant operation as a private yacht the vessel was briefly assigned the official number 214877.{{cite book |year=1918 |title=Fiftieth Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States, Year ended June 30, 1918 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Navigation |page=481 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433023733961;view=1up;seq=495;size=200 |access-date=29 October 2018}}

This was the second yacht of the name and the second designed by Gielow for Dodge. The first Nokomis (1914), frequently confused with the second, was {{GRT|303}}, {{cvt|180|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} length overall, {{cvt|154|ft|5|in|m|1|abbr=on}} length between perpendiculars, with official number 212143 and signal letters LDKQ and built by Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company, Brooklyn, New York.{{sfn|Construction & Repair Bureau (Navy)|1918|pp=290–295}}{{cite book |year=1916 |title=Forty Eighth Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States, Year ended June 30, 1916 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Navigation |page=83 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433023734001;view=1up;seq=585;size=175 |access-date=29 October 2018}} The first Nokomis was purchased by the Navy for $140,000 from Dodge and delivered to the Navy on 9 May 1917. This vessel was {{ship|USS|Kwasind|S. P. 1233}}.{{sfn|Construction & Repair Bureau (Navy)|1918|pp=290–295}}

It is not unusual to see the 1914 build date associated with the specific characteristics of the 1916 Nokomis II.Previous versions of this article and a few otherwise reliable references clearly describe the larger 1916 yacht in dimensions and activities yet have the 1914 date. This is compounded by the fact that the unique official number, 214877 in the case of Nokomis II, usually for the entire lifetime of a vessel, through name and ownership changes, "died" with naval service. Confusion may be aided by the fact the Navy, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships for example, refers to the yacht Nokomis II as the Navy's Nokomis I.{{sfn|DANFS}} The first Nokomis was still in the register as Dupont, owned by the state or Maryland, as late as 1961.{{cite book |year=1961 |title=Merchant Vessels of the United States 1961 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=United States, Bureau of Customs |page=163 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435027143155;view=1up;seq=173;size=175 |access-date=29 October 2018}}

Nokomis II was fitted out with special interior design for each space in luxurious style and accepted by Dodge in June 1917.{{cite magazine |date=July 1917 |title=Nokomis A Floating Palace |magazine=The Rudder |volume=33 |issue=7 |pages=451–453 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mS0jAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA451 |access-date=29 October 2018}} Dodge had specified that the new yacht be fully sea going and incorporate the latest naval architecture and design as well as that all the interior decor and furnishings be specially designed to artistically harmonize without being ornate. The yacht was acquired by the Navy before completion and the only chance Dodge had to sail Nokomis was to deliver the vessel to the Navy.{{cite web |title=The Dodge Family – Page 2 (Excerpts from THE DODGE FLEET OF LAKE ST. CLAIR) |publisher=Grosse Pointe Historical Society |url=http://www.gphistorical.org/autobarons/dodge/dodge2.htm |access-date=29 October 2018}}It is worth noting that the photo feature and text in the referenced July issue of The Rudder with the article "Nokomis A Floating Palace" was being published even as the Navy was likely stripping the yacht of its luxury for naval service.

The as built specifications closely match the Navy's in the 1918 document that is the basis for many listed in "General Characteristics" with the additions of a waterline length of {{cvt|203|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} and depth of hold of {{cvt|19|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}}.

The yacht was flush decked with a steel hull. A steel deck house, {{cvt|141|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} in length and {{cvt|7|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} headroom, was covered by a shade deck above extending the width of the ship that provided a promenade. The forward portion of the deck house contained a pantry on the starboard side with staterooms for the stewards on the port side. Aft was an {{cvt|18|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} long, {{cvt|20|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} wide dining room extending to the machinery casing amidships. Flanking that casing to starboard was a vestibule to the main deck, toilet, and barber shop. Flanking to port were staterooms for engineers and a laundry. Aft of the boiler casing were the owner's stateroom and a {{cvt|24|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} by {{cvt|20|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} living room, with a vestibule from which stairs led below to guest's quarters, with a sheltered {{cvt|42|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} quarterdeck to the stern.

On the upper deck were two structures. The forward house, {{cvt|28|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} by {{cvt|12|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}, contained the captain's quarters forward with a radio room and operator's quarters aft. Aft of the funnel was a {{cvt|32|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} by {{cvt|12|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} house with the forward {{cvt|21|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} containing a gymnasium and the remaining part aft a sitting room with sofa. From photographs the open bridge was atop the forward house.

On the berthing deck below the crew's quarters lay forward with crew's bath aft of the collision bulkhead and folding bunks in a {{cvt|25|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} space aft of the bathroom. Aft of the bunkroom were eleven staterooms and a wardroom for ship's officers occupying {{cvt|26|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} of length and full width of the vessel. Aft of the officers space were separate galleys, one for the crew and one for the owner.Since registration as yacht never made the register the designated number of crew can only be indicated by the description of the extent of quarters provided. It was obviously large with eleven below deck staterooms for officers, a stateroom for captain and radio operator on the top deck, engineer and steward staterooms on the main deck and the large bunk space.

Babcock & Wilcox water tube type boilers provided steam with two triple expansion, three cylinder engines driving the twin screws. Steam also drove electrical generating sets. The equipment was designed so that either boiler could provide steam to either engine independently so that 80% of full speed could be maintained on either. Fuel capacity was 350 tons of coal carried in bunkers athwartship and alongside the boiler room. Ship's auxiliaries were electrical powered and forced air heating and cooling was available when natural ventilation was not desirable. A feature of the yacht was its seven boats. Those included a {{cvt|35|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} express launch, a {{cvt|30|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} service launch, two {{cvt|21|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} power launches, a power lifeboat and two regular lifeboats.

Dodge did not give up after losing his second and unused yacht to the Navy. A third, apparently initially adding to the Nokomis line of yachts, larger one designed by Gielow was being built in 1920 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Detroit; however, that vessel ended up being named Delphine (1921) instead of carrying on the tradition.{{cite magazine |date=November 1920 |title=On the New Nokomis (advertisement with photos of the three vessels) |magazine=Motor Boating |volume=26 |issue=5 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pm06kBvXmXsC&pg=PA79 |access-date=29 October 2018}}

The yacht was purchased from Dodge 1 June 1917 for $510,000 retaining the civilian name to officially become the Navy's first Nokomis 19 November 1917.{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|Construction & Repair Bureau (Navy)|1918|pp=300–301}} The ship was commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 3 December 1917.{{sfn|DANFS}}

After fitting out at Philadelphia Nokomis sailed for Bermuda 19 December with a French submarine chaser JC 319' in tow. She departed Bermuda for Brest, France, 7 January 1918 at 7 am, stopping en route at the Azores and Leixões, Portugal.{{sfn|DANFS}} The expansion of U.S. Naval forces in France and increase in the escort duty in French waters resulted in Nokomis being among the smaller and slower vessels of less military value transferred to serve convoys using the Gironde River with a base in Rochefort, a French naval base north of the Gironde. Nokomis reported at Rochefort 11 March 1918. The five other former yachts withstood the constant escort duty well, but Nokomis is noted as an exception.{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Henry B., Vice Admiral, USN |date=27 August 1920 |title=Account of the Operations of the American Navy in France During the War With Germany (Digital reproduction)|publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |pages=17–18, 119, 122 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/a/account-operations-american-navy-france-during-war-germany.html |access-date=3 November 2018}} Nokomis spent the rest of the conflict on patrol and escort duty off western France, and remained in European waters for several months after the November 1918 Armistice brought an end to the fighting and end of wartime duty in 1919.{{sfn|DANFS}} Aboard were some six African Americans, one cook and the others mess attendants, relegated to the role of servants in the segregated Navy.{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Richard E. |date=February 1988 |title=A Yachtsman's Tale |magazine=All Hands |volume=65 |issue=851 |pages=28–30 |url=https://www.navy.mil/ah_online/archpdf/ah198802.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913102949/http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/archpdf/ah198802.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2015 |access-date=3 November 2018}}

Nokomis returned to the United States in August, was reclassified PY–6 in 1920, and decommissioned at New York City 25 February 1921. The yacht was outfitted as a ship's tender for the Naval Governor of Santo Domingo in July 1921 but did not assume this duty.{{sfn|DANFS}}

On 26 March 1924, under command of Royal E. Ingersoll, Nokomis was fitted out as a survey ship and surveyed in the Cuban–Haitian area, making new charts of the north coast of Cuba. The coastline was determined largely by aerial photography, taken by an amphibian Loening OL-2, in the first extensive use of aircraft in surveying.{{cite web|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-i/ingersoll-royal-e.html |title=Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll, US Navy |author=Naval History and Heritage Command}}{{cite web |title=NH 101037 Loening OL-2 (Photo from USS Nokomis Cuban Survey album) |publisher=Naval History And Heritage Command |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-101000/NH-101037.html |access-date=3 November 2018}} Under direction of the Hydrographic Office she conducted surveys in Mexican and Caribbean waters.{{sfn|DANFS}} Benjamin Dutton, Jr., an expert in navigation who had two Navy survey ships named in his honor, was in command during a part of this period.{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/dutton-i.html |title=Dutton I (PCS-1396) |author=Naval History And Heritage Command |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=Naval History And Heritage Command |access-date=3 November 2018}}The two ships were {{USS|Dutton|AGS-8}} and {{USNS|Dutton|T-AGS-22}}.

During 1935 in a cooperative effort with Instituto Geografico de Colombia Nokomis surveyed Cartagena Bay .{{cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/860236.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033451/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/860236.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |title=Hydrographic And Cartographic Efforts In Colombia Under The Harbor Survey Assistance Program |author=Naval Oceanographic Office}}

Nokomis decommissioned 15 February 1938 and was struck from the Navy Register 25 May 1938.{{sfn|DANFS}}

The Navy loaned the former naval vessel to the United States Coast Guard in 1943 which assigned the name Bodkin. The vessel was undergoing conversion at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Creek, Maryland into a submarine chaser. Work was suspended, after $150,000 in costs, due to lessening of the submarine threat. Bethlehem Steel Company was directed to salvage the metals that could be remelted and the hulk was taken to Mallows Bay to be the only warship among the many World War I hulks there. On 22 June 1944 Bethlehem scrapped the hulk as one of the last operations at the bay.{{cite web |last=United States Department of Interior, National Park Service |title=National Register of Historic Places — Mallows Bay – Widewater Historical and Archaeological District |publisher=National Park Service |date=January 1992 |url=https://dnr.maryland.gov/ccs/Documents/MB_NRHP_RegForm.pdf |access-date=3 November 2018}}

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• {{cite book |last=Construction & Repair Bureau (Navy) |title=Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels |date=November 1, 1918 |location=Washington D.C. |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=296–301 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P0ZHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA296 |access-date=29 October 2018}}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nokomis-i.html |title=Nokomis I (S. P. 609) |author=DANFS |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=Naval History And Heritage Command |access-date=29 October 2018}}

{{refend}}

• [http://digital.hagley.org/islandora/search/dc.title%3A%28Nokomis%29?cp=islandora%3A2161136 Nokomis photographs — Pusey and Jones Corporation photograph collection (Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE)]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=mS0jAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA451 "Nokomis A Floating Palace" (The Rudder, July 1917) Interior design and engines with photographs.]
• [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/1306.htm Nokomis (PY 6 ex-SP-609) at NavSource]

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Category:1916 ships

Category:Steam yachts

Category:Ships built by Pusey and Jones

Category:World War I patrol vessels of the United States

Category:Survey ships of the United States Navy

Category:Dodge family