Classic yacht Argosy

Some more infos about her life as a US warship USS, Cythera II (PY-31) from 1942 to 1946. Cythery I (PY-26) was sunk by German submarine off the east coast of the USA.

Cythera, the ancient name of Cerigo, one of the Ionian Islands.

The second Cythera (PY-31) was built in 1931 as Argosy by Germania Werft, Kiel, Germany; purchased by US the Navy 14 July 1942; and commissioned 26 October 1942, Lieutenant J. Z. Howell, USNR, in command.

Assigned to the Gulf Sea Frontier, Cythera conducted exercises for the Small Craft Training Center at Miami and escorted convoys to Galveston, Tex., and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until 16 March 1943 when she cleared Key West for New York, arriving 21 March. Assigned to the Eastern Sea Frontier she escorted convoys between New York and southern ports until 22 September.

Reassigned to the 3d Naval District, Cythera sailed to New London 22 December 1943 for duty with the Underwater Sound Laboratory. On 3 January 1944 she was decommissioned and placed in service. Cythera conducted training exercises for submarines and was engaged in experimental sonar operations out of New London until 18 January 1945 when she sailed for Port Everglades, Fla. She arrived 23 January to serve with the Antisubmarine Development Operational Detachment, Atlantic Fleet, conducting experimental operations with submarines until 24 April.

From 29 April to 12 November 1945 Cythera was at New London for overhaul and training operations with submarines. After a voyage to Key West, she returned to New London 28 November and remained there until arriving at New York 30 January 1946. Cythera was placed out of service 14 March 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 6 November 1946.





That ship has for sure recieved a lot of modifications and changes during her life.

As I said above, Argosy was transported with float in dock ship from Naples to Brake on the Weser River. This is the ship that carried her:

Roll Dock Sky, a float in / float off type Dutch dockship



The problem is, when deloading a ship, they need sufficient water depths below her keel in order to enable the cargo to float free. This was not given on the Weser River south of Brake.



Here Roll Dock Sky is deloading our famous Utopia IV on the east coast of the USA in 2018. The floating platforms on both sides are used for stabilisation of the submerged ship.

It is very annoying that the refit attempt in 2008 in Naples, Italy was so clumsy and with a low cost approach. Cheap materials, especially metals, wiring and so on. And even then, they went out of money. Due to the unguarded, almost 14 year long lay up of the boat in one of the harbours of Naples, everything which could be carried away, has been stolen. All washing basins, toilet bowls, higher value wood panels, other parts of the almost finished interior and so on, are gone.







This is southern Italy, what would expect. An Italian friend of mine always says, south of Rome, Africa starts, just joking .

A few more pictures



Above You can see the clumsy attempt to restore her bow to the original design.



This was not a qualified yard working on that refit, that were a bunch of small village blacksmiths beating metal.

But the worst picture is the one below. Argosy moored as part of a small fleet of ferries. No yacht in the world deserves that.



It may as well be possible, that only the bare hull and superstructure and may be some machinery is usable for the renovation.

TBC

Jsschieff, do You think, Abeking and Rasmussen would qualify for that task? Ocean Independence is involved in the project and there is a designated full time Project Manager (a qualified commercial captain) assigned for that task.

If the metal foundation (hull with its frames, decks and superstructure) of Argosy is found worth to be renovated, I am pretty opitmistic, that this project will have a good outcome.

Btw. "Argosy" means merchant ship.

Argosy finally made it. She sits on the hard at Abeking & Rasmussen and is being worked on.


Bottom is alreday cleaned and the hull is checked with ultrasound.



I think, it can be assured, that Argosy is in the right hands for this complex refit!

The two pictures above were made this Sunday afternoon, not by me but by my oldest daughter and her husband. They live in Bremen and I just asked them for some family intel, as I am locked by other priorities here in Hamburg at the moment. As soon as I am more flexible again, more info to come.

The most impressive things about Argosy, besides her really colourful history, are the numerous changes done to her during her history. From a beautiful classic yacht to a warship, a refugee ship, back to a warship, back again into a yacht, than converted to a ferry and finally back to a yacht but with awful results. We are really talking about some major external and internal changes, like changes to the superstructure, changing the shape of the bow (several times!), changing the yacht type wheelhouse to warship command bridge and back, adding amarment like guns and depth charges and removing all of it again.
The funnel alone, has probably changed his shape and size ten times.

She started as a luxury yacht, was the mothership of the sailing yacht Endeavour during the America's Cup, played a role in the Spanish Civil War, was a US Navy vessel, played a role in the exodus of the jewish people on their way to Palestine, got captured by the Royal Navy, became one of the very first Israeli Navy vessel and added decicive in sinking the Agypt Flagship, got reconverted to a yacht, sold again and became a ferry in the gulf of Naples.

But nobody was able to break her keel and also being mistreated so much and looking a little bit sordid at the moment, she still is basically in good shape and looking like the proud swan, when she was build.

IMHO, I do not believe, that there is any other historical larger yacht at the moment worth being restored more than ARGOSY.

Just my 2 (Euro) cents

Estimates say 18 month and I personally would not get nervous, if will extend to 24 month. The guys at A&R are no hobbyist, they are real professionals. The only problem is, that nobody can give You a fixed price or even an reasonably accurate estimate in advance on such project, as there may be (to) many surprises hidden in a 91 year old ship.

Just sit back and enjoy. It's not Your wallet, that's being opened for that project .

Dear members, the place to be, the wheelhouse of that beauty!

A little conspiratorial night action, the tow of Argosy from the Brake harbour to A&R at Lemwerder.