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USS Amber (PYc-6)
Encyclopedia
USS Amber (PYc-6) was a patrol boat
in the United States Navy
.
Amber started life as the yacht Infanta built for the actor John Barrymore, but was later sold and renamed Polaris. She was built in 1930 at Craig ship building in Long Beach California, purchased by the United States Navy
from Edward and Kathryn Lowe on 23 December 1940, converted for naval service by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co. Inc., Winslow, Washington
; renamed Amber on 10 January 1941 and simultaneously designated PYc-6, and placed in commission at Seattle on 3 March 1941, Lt. W. B. Combs in command.
Amber was assigned to the Inshore Patrol of the 13th Naval District and, from May until early August, operated around Seattle
, Tacoma
, and Port Townsend, Washington
. The patrol craft left Seattle on 6 August on a cruise to Alaska
, and visited Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka, before returning to Seattle early in September.
In November, Amber was assigned to patrol duty at Astoria, Oregon
, and patrolled the Strait of Juan de Fuca
off Neah Bay, Washington
, under the control of the Northwest Sea Frontier Patrol Group.
Amber was decommissioned on 18 October 1944 and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1944. The ship was sold back to her former owners on 13 June 1945.
Later the boat was acquired by the Foss Towing Company, Seattle (later name changed to Foss Maritime), and renamed M/Y Thea Foss
.
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Amber started life as the yacht Infanta built for the actor John Barrymore, but was later sold and renamed Polaris. She was built in 1930 at Craig ship building in Long Beach California, purchased by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from Edward and Kathryn Lowe on 23 December 1940, converted for naval service by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Co. Inc., Winslow, Washington
Winslow, Washington
Winslow is the name of the downtown area of the city of Bainbridge Island, Washington, and is the original name of the city. It encompasses the area around the main street, Winslow Way, and is made up of approximately overlooking Eagle Harbor....
; renamed Amber on 10 January 1941 and simultaneously designated PYc-6, and placed in commission at Seattle on 3 March 1941, Lt. W. B. Combs in command.
Amber was assigned to the Inshore Patrol of the 13th Naval District and, from May until early August, operated around Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, and Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
. The patrol craft left Seattle on 6 August on a cruise to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, and visited Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka, before returning to Seattle early in September.
In November, Amber was assigned to patrol duty at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, and patrolled the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Juan de Fuca
Ioánnis Fokás , better known by the Spanish transcription of his name, Juan de Fuca , was a Greek-born maritime pilot in the service of the king of Spain, Philip II...
off Neah Bay, Washington
Neah Bay, Washington
Neah Bay is a census-designated place on the Makah Indian reservation in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Neah Bay is located at ....
, under the control of the Northwest Sea Frontier Patrol Group.
Amber was decommissioned on 18 October 1944 and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1944. The ship was sold back to her former owners on 13 June 1945.
Later the boat was acquired by the Foss Towing Company, Seattle (later name changed to Foss Maritime), and renamed M/Y Thea Foss
Thea Foss
Thea Christiansen Foss was the founder of Foss Maritime, the largest tugboat company in the western United States...
.