YMS 351 research help needed

[Hodr]

Gentlemen;

Years ago in Calif. at Vallejo we took our kids down to see the Golden Hind at anchor.  Yes it was a replica made to match the original ship that landed in Drakes Bay.  Ordnance and all running gear was present.  Crew was volunteer historical and vastly proud of thier ship.  as they sailed it into Calif. from England.  I am a neophyte in this area and was wondering where in the Southwest or West coast other wooden ships might be docked or on display.  I have been on several modern ships but enjoyed the wood ones more.  There is one contempary wooden ship I would like to find for photographs to send to my wife's uncle.
He served on a yard mine sweeper in WWII and we are putting together a display for him.  His oldest son has had his medals reissued, We have had a reunion hat made up (YMS 351) and found a uniform blouse with Gunners mate stripes.  He was in hospital when his boat went under in a typhoon off Okinawa.  As far as we have been able to determine the crew all went under and he is the last Keel plate crew.  After all these years he finally started talking about WWII and opening the way on 9 island invasions.  The family means to do him proud on his birthday this year. Any help would be appreciated.  And yeah it was a WOODEN hull craft.

blindhari

[Double D]

Thiks is a bit off topic on this forum...I'm going to let it stand for a day or two then move it to a more appropriate forum where help might be found.

If any one has any info to help do post it.

[Double D]

Here is my basic Internet research.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/19351.htm

YMS-1 Class Auxiliary Motor Minesweeper: Laid down 16 October 1942 by the Gibbs Gas Engine Co., Jacksonville, FL; Launched 21 February 1943; Completed 9 October 1943; Struck from the Naval Register 19 June 1946; Sold in April 1947. Fate unknown.

Specifications: Displacement 270 t.; Length 136'; Beam 24' 6"; Draft 8'; Speed 13 kts; Complement 50; Armament one single 3"/50 gun mount; Propulsion two 880 shp General Motors diesel engines, two shafts.

http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9770.html

http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/19idx.htm

http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/yms.htm

From the basic internet research it appear the YMS 351 survived the war and was struck from the register and sold.  Disposition unknown.  These Yard Mine Sweepers went on after the war and gave service of all sorts as fishing vessels, work boats and luxury yachts.  The most famous of these being The Wild Goose owned by John Wayne.

[Double D]

Here are two other place you might look for additional infomration.

http://www.navylog.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

and

http://www.fra.org/

[KABAR2]

I don't know about the typhoon...... this is what I found on 351


Navy   The US Navy
Type   Minesweeper
Class   YMS
Pennant   YMS-351
Built by   Gibbs Gas Engine Co. (Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.)
Ordered   
Laid down   16 Oct, 1942
Launched   21 Feb, 1943
Commissioned   9 Oct, 1943
End service   
Loss position   
 
History   Stricken on 19 June 1946
Sold in April 1947

Here is a link to a list of ships lost in the typhoon.....

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq82-1.htm

[Double D]

Kabar your link sure points out the danger of crewing one of these little ships.  The list of YMS-Mine sweeper sinkings show most sunk by mines.

Some brave men in those little boats!

[GGaskill]

One truth about military service, especially during a shooting war, is that no matter what your initial plans, your end experiences have a large random factor in them.  Certainly some things are more hazardous than others but an individual has so little control over where he is assigned and what will actually happen that even the safest sounding job can turn out to be fatal and the most hazardous one survivable.

[Hodr]

Thanks for the resource information.  I will double check hull number with Rocco. 

Wooden ships, Iron men    Absent companions

blindhari

Thanks again

[KABAR2]

Off topic but probably the longest running ex-U.S. made British used mine sweeper is the Calypso My parents were in a dive club in the 50's in Fla. they Met Cousteau and got to go on the Calypso for dinner.
My dad's original double stage regulator and tank serial # 353 were french made "Cousteau" pre- aqualung......

http://www.seasabres.com/%5CSafty-education%5CEducation%5Cother%5CCalypso.htm

[Victor3]

 You might look up the Lady Washington and her sister ship the Hawaiian Chieftain based in Washington state.

 Here's a photo of the Lady Washington taken by a local photographer when she was in dry dock at Southwest Marine, San Pedro CA in 1997...

[Cat Whisperer]

Thiks is a bit off topic on this forum...I'm going to let it stand for a day or two then move it to a more appropriate forum where help might be found.

If any one has any info to help do post it.

I'm glad we're a little loose on the rules around here; this is a good one.   

[Double D]

I am now going to move this to the Supporting our Troops forum so others might jump and help.