AH-WR-0770

USS Tarantula

Patrol Yacht · United States · Lost 1918 · Long Island & the New York Approaches

A Vanderbilt-owned steam yacht turned armed Navy patrol boat, sunk in collision off Fire Island in the final weeks of World War I.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in 1912 as the private steam yacht Tarantula II for William K. Vanderbilt Jr., the vessel was leased to the U.S. Navy in 1917 and commissioned USS Tarantula for patrol duty in the New York Harbor approaches. On October 28, 1918, she sank after colliding with the Dutch steamship SS Frisia off Fire Island; there were no casualties. Divers relocated the wreck decades later, confirming her identity in 1985 by recovering her ship's bell.

Vessel

Built: 1912
Registry: SP-124
Builder: George Lawley & Son
Yard: Neponset, Massachusetts
Material: Steel
Length: 129 ft
Beam: 19 ft
Tonnage: 160
Propulsion: Steam/motor, single or twin screw
Owners: William K. Vanderbilt Jr. (private owner); U.S. Navy (wartime service)

Loss

Date: October 28, 1918
Cause: Collision
Location: About 8 miles southwest of the Fire Island Lightship, New York
Water: Atlantic Ocean, New York Bight
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 115 ft
Condition: Low-lying wreckage; boilers rise about seven feet off the bottom
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 40.63° N 73.22° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Jones Inlet, Long Island, New York
Region: Long Island & the New York Approaches

General area only: coordinate of Fire Island Light, Suffolk County, New York, the charted light station used to reckon the loss location ("southwest of the Fire Island Lightship") recorded for this vessel, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)

Naval History and Heritage Command, Civilian Ships photo archive
Build year, tonnage, Navy acquisition, collision loss date and cause, location.
njscuba.net dive site directory
Wreck depth, condition, discovery and identification history.
USBeacons.com — Fire Island Light coordinates
coordinate of the named place of loss