The second USS ''Sylvia'' (SP-471), later USS ''SP-471'', was a

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 ...

patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

in commission from 1917 to 1919. ''Sylvia'' was built as a private

motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...

of the same name by Sam Williams at Marco,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. On 6 June 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from her owner, J. Alwood of Winter Haven, Florida, for use as a

section patrol A Section Patrol Craft was a civilian vessel registered by the United States Navy for potential wartime service before, during, and shortly after World War I. Historical overview The SP/ID registration system In 1916, with World War I raging a ...

vessel during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. She was commissioned as USS ''Sylvia'' (SP-471) on 4 September 1917. Assigned to the

7th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

, ''Sylvia'' operated on patrol duty in Florida waters for the rest of World War I and into early 1919. On 11 April 1918 her name was changed to USS ''SP-471'' to avoid confusion with the first , a patrol

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 ...

which also was in commission at the time. ''SP-471'' was out of commission and awaiting sale when she became one of eight section patrol boats destroyed at

North Beach Basin North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' i ...

at Key West, Florida, on 9 September 1919 by the 1919 Florida Keys Hurricane. Anchored in the basin when the

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

struck, she was beaten to pieces against the basins wall and completely wrecked. Sources vary as to when ''SP-471'' was stricken from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval autho ...

. It may have occurred on 24 April 1919 in advance of her being put up for sale or on 4 October 1919 after her destruction.

Notes

References

*
Department of the Navy Naval History and Heritage Command Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS ''Sylvia'' (SP-471), 1917-1919. Later renamed ''SP-471''. Originally the Civilian Motor Boat ''Sylvia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvia (SP-471) Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Florida Maritime incidents in 1919 Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys