USS Gaivota

USS Gaivota (SP-436) was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1918.

History
United States
Name	USS Gaivota
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	A. C. Brown, Tottenville, Staten Island, New York
Completed	1897
Acquired	8 June 1917
Commissioned	13 September 1917
Decommissioned	11 May 1918
Fate	Returned to owner
Notes	Operated as private steam yacht Gaivota, 1897-1917 and from 1918
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel
Tonnage	74 gross register tons
Length	91 ft 8 in (27.94 m)
Beam	15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
Depth	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Propulsion	Steam engine
Speed	14 knots
Complement	7
Armament	1 × 3-pounder gun 1 × 1-pounder 1 × machine gun

Gaivota was built as a private steam yacht of the same name in 1897 by A. C. Brown of Tottenville, Staten Island, New York. On 8 June 1917, the U.S. Navy chartered Gaivota from her owner, Alfred C. Maron, for use as a section patrol vessel during World War I. She was fitted out as a patrol craft in the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and commissioned as USS Gaivota (SP-436) on 13 September 1917.

After conducting target practice in the Delaware Bay, Gaivota underwent alterations at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Assigned for duty to the 4th Naval District, she reached Cold Spring, New Jersey, on 9 November 1917 to serve as a unit of the harbor entrance patrol off Cold Spring and Breakwater Harbor, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware.

Gaivota returned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 April 1918 and was decommissioned on 11 May 1918 for return to her owner.

References

•   This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: Gaivota (SP 436)