USS Opal (PYc-8), formerly the yacht named ''Coronet'' (1928), was a

patrol boat 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 th ...

in 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 ...

during

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and then served in the

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

ian navy.

1928–1941: Yacht ''Coronet''

''Opal'' was originally designed by the

naval architecture Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and ...

firm of Cox & Stevens as the steel-hulled

motor 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 ...

''Coronet'' for American businessman Irving T. Bush. It was built in 1928 at

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland pe ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

by Germania Werft. This vessel was named after the smaller schooner yacht ''

Coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...

'' of 1885, built for Irving's father

Rufus T. Bush Rufus Ter Bush (February 22, 1840 – September 15, 1890) was an American businessman, industrialist, and yachtsman. His notable testimony against Standard Oil's monopolistic practices through railroad rebates left a lasting impression, while th ...

and known for its victory in an 1887 transatlantic ocean race. The first ''Coronet'' was also the vessel upon which young Irving Bush and his family had sailed around the world in 1888. The new diesel-powered ''Coronet'' featured a library, a living room with an open fireplace, a dining room, six staterooms (each with its own bathroom), and space for a crew of 20. The yacht had a 7,000 mile range."Graces of Clipper in New Bush Yacht," ''

New York Evening Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily newspaper, daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip ...

'', Oct. 17, 1928 During the late 1920s and early 1930s, ''Coronet'' served as a pleasure yacht, for example cruising around the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

"Olympic Arrives with Notable List ," ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Sep. 19, 1928, pg. 24 and participating in

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

activities on Long Island Sound.James Robbins, "Shawara is First in Race on Sound," ''New York Times'', Aug. 30, 1930, pg. 10 From 1931 through the end of the 1930s, ''Coronet'' stayed in south

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, a ...

, in and near

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

, maintained and ready for service, yet inactive. In 1935, Bush transferred ownership of the yacht to his wife,

Marian Spore Bush Marian Spore Bush (born Flora May Spore, October 22, 1878 – February 24, 1946) was an American dentist, painter, and wife of industrial tycoon Irving T. Bush. She left her successful Michigan dental practice for a studio in Greenwich Villa ...

. As both husband and wife were officially residents of New York City, and the ''Coronet'' was registered in New York but kept in

, the yacht became the subject of a property taxation dispute, which was finally settled by the

Florida Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven members: the chief justice and six justices. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and on ...

in 1939.

1941–1943: Coastal Patrol Yacht ''USS Opal''

''Coronet'' was purchased by the United States Navy from M.S. Bush on 27 January 1941 and converted for naval service at Merrill-Stevens Drydock Co. in

. It was commissioned ''Opal'' on 10 June 1941. ''Opal'' reported 23 August 1941 at

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Guantanamo Bay Naval Base ( es, Base Naval de la Bahía de Guantánamo), officially known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or NSGB, (also called GTMO, pronounced Gitmo as jargon by members of the U.S. military) is a United States military bas ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

for service in the

10th 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 ...

. The vessel patrolled off Cuba and among the

Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, ...

prior to arrival at

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, 24 April 1942, for similar “inshore patrol” duties. Early in October 1941 it sailed to the

Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. ...

for installation of new sound detection equipment before returning to action against German submarines in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

. ''Opal'' frequently served on escort missions between Guantanamo and Trinidad during the first eight months of 1943.

1943–1960: Ecuadorian Navy's ''Manabi''

In 1943, the US Navy reassigned ''Opal'' to serve as a training ship for

ian naval crews. It was lent to Ecuador on 23 September 1943 under the Lend-Lease Program and renamed ''Manabi.'' The United States sold the vessel to Ecuador on 13 May 1949 and the US Navy struck its name from the Navy List on 7 June 1949. The Ecuadorian Navy scrapped the vessel in 1960.

References

External links

NavSource Online's article on ''Opal''
with photos of the vessel as ''Coronet'', ''Opal'', and ''Manabi''

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Opal (PYc-8) Steam yachts Ships built in Kiel 1928 ships Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War II patrol vessels of the United States Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Ecuadorian Navy Auxiliary ships of the Ecuadorian Navy Former yachts of New York City

1928–1941: Yacht ''Coronet''

1941–1943: Coastal Patrol Yacht ''USS Opal''

1943–1960: Ecuadorian Navy's ''Manabi''

See also

References

External links