Zoraya (S. P. 235)
1917-1919
The Navy retained the name that this vessel carried at the time of her acquisition.
(S. P. 235: tonnage 129 (gross register); length 135'0"; beam 18'0"; draft 7'6" (aft); speed 12.0 knots; complement 33; armament 2 3-pounders)
Zoraya, a wooden-hulled, single-screw yacht constructed in 1901 by J. M. Bayles & Sons at Port Jefferson, N.Y., was acquired by the Navy from Mr. William Biel on 16 August 1917. Given the identification number S. P. 235, the vessel was commissioned at New York on 17 December 1917.
For the duration of the war, Zoraya served under the Commandant, Third Naval District, and patrolled the coasts of New York and New Jersey. On 8 February 1919, the yacht was returned to her owner.
Raymond A. Mann
21 March 2024