USS YO-21
Yard Oiler · United States · Lost Disposed of at Lanai, reportedly around 1957 · The Hawaiian Islands
A surplus Navy oiler deliberately disposed of on Lanai's Shipwreck Beach in the 1950s, now a heavily encrusted iron wreck surveyed by NOAA divers.
The Vessel and Her Loss
USS YO-21 was a Navy yard oiler used to fuel ships in Hawaiian waters. Following World War II, the vessel was decommissioned and, like several other surplus naval craft, deliberately disposed of along the north shore of Lanai, an area now known as Shipwreck Beach. A 2009 NOAA and University of Hawaii survey documented her surviving boiler and machinery among the wreckage scattered along the reef.
Vessel
- Not established
- YO-21
- Not established
- Not established
- Steel
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- None (non-self-propelled or auxiliary, per Navy yard oiler type)
- U.S. Navy
Loss
- Disposed of at Lanai, reportedly around 1957
- Intentional sinking
- Shipwreck Beach, Lanai, Hawaii
- Pacific Ocean, Kalohi Channel
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 6-8
- Heavily deteriorated; boiler, engine, and heavy iron machinery remain visible on a high-energy reef
- Not established
- 2009 survey
- Not established
Position
- 20.93° N 156.87° W
- Approximate position
- Shipwreck Beach, Lanai, Hawaii
Position approximates the Shipwreck Beach wreck field, Lanai.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)
The exact year of disposal and construction details of this vessel are not firmly documented in the sources reviewed.
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 2009 Lana'i Project
Listing among known vessel losses at Lanai and approximate disposal date.
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 2009 Lana'i Project Results
Wreck site description, depth, and condition of surveyed machinery.
