USS Arcturus (SP-182)

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

USS Arcturus (SP-182) was a yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was reconfigured by the Navy as an armed patrol craft, and was assigned to patrol the waterways of New York City.

USS Arcturus (SP-182) in an icy port, circa 1917–1919.
History
United States
Name	USS Arcturus
Namesake	The principal star of the northern constellation Boötes with a magnitude of .2 and located 36 light-years' distance from the Earth.
Builder	Gas Engine and Power Co. and the Charles L. Seabury Co., Morris Heights, New York
Laid down	date unknown
Completed	1911
Acquired	by the Navy 25 May 1917
Commissioned	18 August 1917 as Arcturus (SP-182)
Decommissioned	7 May 1919
Renamed	USS SP-182 in 1918
Stricken	circa 1919
Homeport	3rd Naval District, at New York City
Fate	Sold 4 October 1919
General characteristics
Class & type	Yacht
Tonnage	78 tons
Length	90 ft (27 m)
Beam	16 ft 6 in (5.03 m)
Draft	4 ft 9 in (1.45 m)
Speed	14 knots
Complement	16 officers and enlisted
Armament	One 3-pounder gun Two machine guns

Yacht built in New York

Arcturus (SP-182)—a wooden-hulled yacht built in 1911 by the Gas Engine & Power Co. and the Charles L. Seabury Co., Morris Heights, New York City—was purchased by the Navy from Martin L. Quinn of New York City on 25 May 1917; and placed in commission on 18 August 1917.

World War I service

For her whole career, Arcturus was assigned to the section patrol duty in the 3d Naval District, headquartered at New York City.

Post-war decommissioning

She was decommissioned on 7 May 1919 and sold on 4 October 1919 to Reinhard Hall, Brooklyn, New York.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• USS Arcturus (SP-182), 1917–1919. Later renamed SP-182. Originally the Civilian Motor Boat Arcturus (1911)
• Photo gallery of USS Arcturus (SP-182) at NavSource Naval History