USS Katie

Not to be confused with USS Kate (1864).

USS Katie (SP-660) is a civilian motor vessel which was commissioned into the United States Navy as a patrol vessel from 1917 to 1918.

USS Katie (SP-660) hauled out of the water during World War I
History
United States
Name	USS Katie
Namesake	Previous name retained
Builder	C. E. Bush, Crittenden, Virginia
Completed	1915 or 1916
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 as civilian motorboat Katie 1916-1917 and since 1918
General characteristics
Type	Patrol vessel
Tonnage	15 gross register tons
Length	48 ft (15 m)
Beam	11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Draft	3 ft 8 in (1.12 m)
Speed	10 knots
Complement	4
Armament	None

Construction and acquisition

Katie was built as a civilian motorboat of the same name by C. E. Bush at Crittenden, Virginia, in 1915 or 1916. In 1917, the U.S. Navy chartered her from her owner, the Virginia Fish and Oyster Commission, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I. She was commissioned as USS Katie (SP-660) on 24 April 1917, although the Navy did not take delivery of her until 18 May 1917, at Norfolk, Virginia.

U.S. Navy service

Assigned to the 5th 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 the James River to the lower reaches of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Katie, now under command of Boatswain O. W. Hudson, was decommissioned on 22 October 1918 and was returned to the Virginia Fish and Oyster Commission the same day.

Later career

Katie served the Virginia Fish and Oyster Commission until she was sold to the Redmond Lumber Corporation in 1956. She had two more owners before 1963, when William C. Poole purchased her. Poole used her both as a private yacht and as a United 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 to Belhaven, North Carolina.

In October 2003, William Patterson purchased Katie. He moved her to Richmond, Virginia, and made plans to take her to wooden boat 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.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• SP-660 Katie at Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships -- Listed by Hull Number "SP" #s and "ID" #s -- World War I Era Patrol Vessels and other Acquired Ships and Craft numbered from SP-600 through SP-699
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Katie (SP 660)