''Washington'' (SP-1241) was a seagoing

schooner barge A schooner barge is a schooner converted for use as a barge. Schooner barges originated on the Great Lakes in the 1860s and were in use until World War II, although a few survived into the 1950s. Even though steamboats were used for time-critica ...

that served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in 1917. ''Washington'', also named ''Manuel Llaguno'' during her long commercial career, was built at

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bath is included in the Brunswick, Maine, Brunswick Micropolitan statistical area, micropolitan area. Bath has a 2024 population of 8,870. It is also the county seat of Sagadahoc County ...

in 1879. While owned by the Luckenbach Steamship Company of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and employed in the coastal coal transportation trade, she was taken over by the U.S. Navy for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

service as ''Washington'' on 18 October 1917 and designated SP-1241. The Navy employed ''Washington'' as a seagoing coal barge. On 1 December 1917, while in tow from

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

, Virginia, with of coal on board, ''Washington'' was caught in a heavy snow storm and went aground attempting to enter the

Ambrose Channel Ambrose Channel is the only shipping channel in and out of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The channel is considered to be part of Lower New York Bay and is located several miles off the coasts of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Breezy Point ...

at New York. Determined to be unsalvageable, she was stricken from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

in February 1918.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Washington (SP-1241) Schooners of the United States Navy Ships built in Bath, Maine 1879 ships World War I shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean World War I auxiliary ships of the United States Schooner barges Shipwrecks of the New York (state) coast Barges of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in 1917