Across the United States, numerous deserted vessels lie forgotten, but few can match the storied past of the USS Sachem (SP-192), also known as the USS Phenakite (PYc-25), Celt, Sightseer, Circle Line V, and today, The Ghost Ship (a name with a hint of melodrama). This relic from the early 1900s was seized by the US Navy twice, transforming it from a luxury yacht into a vessel prepared for battle.
From luxury steam yacht to US Navy patrol yacht
The USS Sachem‘s story begins in 1901, when the ship was ordered by railroad engineer J. Rogers Maxwell. Constructed by Pusey & Jones out of Wilmington, Delaware, the vessel, under the name Celt, was launched in April of the next year, and she served as a luxury steam yacht up until the United States entered the First World War.
With the outbreak of the conflict, the US Navy began looking for civilian ships to commandeer for coastal defense, as the Germans had begun attacking supply lines between America and Europe. Celt was one such vessel to be acquired for military service, being renamed Sachem.
USS Sachem (SP-192) during World War I
The USS Sachem subsequently underwent modifications, which saw her sides raised to allow her to become more seaworthy, the removal of her masts and the sealing of her ornate brass, the addition of navigational equipment and the fringing of the yacht’s portholes. A new complement of armament was also provided, to ensure she and her crew could fight against any enemy presence in the Atlantic. This featured:
- Depth charge racks
- One Ordnance QF Hotchkiss six-pounder deck gun
- Two QF three-pounder Hotchkiss deck guns
- Two light machine guns
Sachem served with the Third Maritime District during the early part of her naval service, patroling the East Coast, down to the Caribbean. In 1917, she was turned into a “floating laboratory” by famed inventor Thomas Edison, who conducted a number of experiments in his quest to develop effective U-boat countermeasures.
By the time the First World War came to an end, Sachem hadn’t experienced active combat, nor had she reported a confirmed sighting of an enemy submarine. For her and her crew’s service during the conflict, the yacht received the World War I Victory Medal.
Interwar period
In 1932, as the Great Depression started to grip the nation, Taylor transferred ownership of the Sachem to Jacob Martin of Brooklyn, New York. Martin, aiming to earn income amid the economic hardship, repurposed the yacht for two functions: as a deep-sea fishing boat and a luxury passenger liner, which turned out to be a major revenue stream.
Renamed the USS Phenakite (PYc-25) during World War II
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the US Navy, again, began looking for civilian vessels to help in America’s defense. In February 1942, the service reacquired the USS Sachem for $65,000, transiting her to Robert Jacobs, Inc. in City Island, New York for modifications. These included new equipment; speed, armor and visibility upgrades; and a newer gray-haze paint scheme.
Just like in World War I, Sachem, by then re-designated the USS Phenakite, saw various types of armament installed on her deck. The weapons added this time around were:
- One three-inch/23-caliber deck gun
- One Thompson submachine gun
- Two Mark VI depth charge racks
- Four M2 Browning machine guns for anti-aircraft defense
Phenakite spent the first part of her renewed service with the Navy patrolling the East Coast, under the command of Lt. John D. Lennon. In late 1944, she underwent a refit, which saw her use widen to also include convoy escort and sonar system testing as part of the Fleet Sonar School Squadron and the Key West Squadron.
Similar to the earlier conflict, the yacht didn’t see active combat. That being said, her crew received both the World War II Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal. Following the conflict, she was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register.
Left abandoned in a Kentucky creek
Following World War II, Jacob Martin purchased the USS Phenakite back from the US Navy for $5,353. She was then sold to the Circle Line in New York City, serving as a tour boat under the name Circle Line V until 1983.
In 1986, Cincinnati, Ohio, resident Robert Miller purchased the yacht for $7,500. After a celebratory weekend in New York City over the July 4 long weekend, which saw the vessel make a cameo in the music video for Madonna‘s “Papa Don’t Preach,” Miller journeyed back to his home along the Ohio-Kentucky border. He subsequently moored the ship at the mouth of Taylor Creek, in Boone County, Kentucky, where she’s remained ever since.
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Unable to afford the upkeep of the yacht, Miller left her to rust away in the water. While on private property, what remains of the vessel has become a popular sight for kayakers and canoers traveling along Taylor Creek. Given her decrepit state, she has since been dubbed “The Ghost Ship.”
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