SS ''Delphine'' launched April 1921. Caption from '' Popular Mechanics'' magazine SS ''Delphine'' is a

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

commissioned by Horace Dodge, co-founder of

Dodge Brothers Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid ...

. The yacht was launched on 2 April 1921 Captained by Arthur A. Archer. Power was originally supplied from three

Babcock & Wilcox Babcock & Wilcox is an American renewable, environmental and thermal energy technologies and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets across the globe with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, USA. Historicall ...

boilers powering two quadruple-expansion engines. In her 2003 refit ''Delphine'' was re-equipped with two modern water-tube boilers operating at , the larger of which has an evaporation capacity of of steam per hour while the smaller can evaporate per hour; these new boilers supply the original quadruple-expansion engines. "Of all the large American-built steam yachts built between 1893 and 1930, the Delphine is the only one left in her original condition with her original steam engines still in service." The ''Delphine'' caught fire and sank in New York in 1926, only to be recovered and restored. She suffered further damage in 1940 when she ran aground in the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

, and was repaired. She was acquired by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in January 1942 and rechristened USS ''Dauntless'' (PG-61), to serve as the flagship for Admiral

Ernest King Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was an American naval officer who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH-CNO, he directed the Un ...

, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations. She was sold back to Anna Dodge (Horace Dodge's wife) after the conclusion of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and restored to civilian standards and service, including her original name. Purportedly,

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

used the yacht and the Yalta accords were drafted while he was on board.258'/78m U.S.-Built Dodge Family Mega-Yacht is 100 Years-Old and Steam-Driven Yacht Delphine
Video Xplorer Yachts via

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

''Delphine'' changed hands in 1967 and again in 1968, changing names again to ''Dauntless'', only to be sold again in 1986, 1989, and in 1997 – at scrap metal prices to her next owner, Jacques Bruynooghe, who proceeded to restore her for $60 million to the original 1921 condition including interior decor and the original steam engines. She was rechristened ''Delphine'' by

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco Princess Stephanie Marie Elisabeth of Monaco (born 1 February 1965) is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and American actress Grace Kelly. She is the younger sister of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Caroline, Princess of Han ...

on 10 September 2003. In 2007, the ship was used as part of the setting for the

Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transition ...

film ''

The Brothers Bloom ''The Brothers Bloom'' is a 2008 American caper comedy-drama film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Maximilian Schell, and Robbie Coltrane. The film went into wide releas ...

''.

References

* *

External links

Official site
Melbourne Age 23 Jun 2010
258'/78m U.S.-Built Dodge Family Mega-Yacht is 100 Years-Old and Steam-Driven Yacht Delphine
Video Xplorer Yachts via

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delphine Steam yachts Steamships of the United States Steamships of France Steamships of Singapore Steamships of Monaco 1921 ships Ships built in Ecorse, Michigan