USS Surf (SP-518)

Surf was built as a civilian steam yacht in 1898 by Ramage & Ferguson at Leith Scotland, for E. D. Lambert of Berkshire, England.

Her later American owner, John H. Hanan, a millionaire shoe manufacturer, who had bought and used her for cruising in 1916, sold her to John Alton Harriss a New York businessman and former Physician of Manhattan, New York City in 1917.^[1] Harriss offered her to the U.S. Navy for use as a patrol vessel during World War I.^[2]

Dr. Harriss loaned the Surf to the Navy and the American Red Cross for use as an Ambulance ship in May 1917, he assumed all the costs for painting her in Red Cross livery, her maintenance and the salaries of the doctors and nurses detailed to her, as well as offering his own services.^[3][4] The loan was made on the basis that he be allowed to serve as the Medical Director on the yacht. She could accommodate 25 patients.^[2]

The Navy assigned her the section patrol number SP-518 but never commissioned her, and returned her to Harris on 29 September 1917. The threat of submarines had put paid to the idea.^[5]

From 30 July 1918 she started taking 120 Army patients a time from the United States General Hospital No. 1 on day trips, three times a week, along the Hudson River as a recreation boat, musical entertainment being provided.^[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Surf (SP-518).

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: Names beginning with the letter S
• Photo gallery of USS Surf (SP-518) at NavSource Naval History