Hauoli, a steam yacht, was built in 1903 by Bobbins Drydock Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., and purchased by the Navy as California in August 1917 from her owner, Clara B. Stocker, of New York. After fitting out, she commissioned at New York Navy Yard 24 December 1917, Lt. (j.g.) W. Applebye-Robinson, USNRF, commanding. Her name was changed back to the original Hauoli 18 February 1918.
Hauoli spent the first year of her service as a patrol vessel in New York Harbor. She patrolled outside the harbor also, and occasionally carried passengers to and from convoys. The yacht was transferred to special duty 28 January 1919 and assigned to the experimental use of Thomas A. Edison for ASW studies. Edison installed listening devices in Hauoli and carried out tests in and around New York harbor. Before demobilization cut short the experiments with Hauoti, she was withdrawn from that service and decommissioned 8 October 1919, and later sold to Denton Shore Lumber Co., Tampa, Fla., 7 September 1920.
