USS YMS-328 facts for kids
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| History | |
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| Name |
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| Owner |
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| Builder | Ballard Marine Railway Co., Seattle, Washington |
| Laid down | 6 July 1942 |
| Launched | 19 December 1942 |
| Completed | 26 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 29 October 1946 |
| Stricken | 29 October 1946 |
| Status | Still in operation as a cruise yacht |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | YMS-1-class minesweeper (YMS-135 subclass) |
| Displacement | 270 long tons (274 t) |
| Length | 136 ft (41 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 32 |
| Armament |
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Wild Goose (yacht)
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 Location in California
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| Location | 2431 West Coast Highway (boat berth), Newport Beach, California |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000431 |
| Added to NRHP | 19 July 2011 |
The USS YMS-328 was a special kind of ship called a minesweeper, built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Its job was to find and clear dangerous underwater bombs called mines. This ship was built in Ballard, Washington, and its main body (hull) was made from strong Douglas fir wood. After its time serving in the Navy, it became a private yacht. It is now famous for being owned by the movie star John Wayne. Today, it's still sailing as a cruise yacht.
The YMS-328 was finished and ready for duty on May 26, 1943. It served in the Aleutian Islands during World War II. Its important tasks included clearing enemy minefields near Attu and removing U.S. minefields near Kiska. The ship also patrolled the waters around Adak.
The YMS-328 was on its way to Dutch Harbor to get ready for an invasion of Paramishiru Island in Japan. However, Japan surrendered before the invasion happened. After this, the YMS-328 returned to Bremerton, Washington. The ship was officially removed from the Navy's list of active vessels in 1946.
From Warship to Yacht: Private Ownership
In 1948, the YMS-328 was sold to a private owner named Harold Jones, who owned a tugboat company in Vancouver. He renamed the ship La Beverie. When Mr. Jones passed away in 1956, a wealthy man named Max Wyman bought the yacht. He changed its name to Wild Goose II. Wyman traveled all over the world on the yacht, visiting places like Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Hawaii.
In 1962, the famous actor John Wayne bought the yacht. He had it completely renovated and gave it its most famous name: Wild Goose. John Wayne owned the ship for the last 17 years of his life. He often used it to entertain many important people of his time, including former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
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The Wild Goose even appeared in movies! It was featured in the 1968 film Skidoo. In this movie, it played the yacht named Mother, which belonged to a mob boss. Many scenes were filmed on the yacht, both inside and out. The ship also appeared in the 1967 film The President's Analyst, where it pretended to be a Canadian spy ship.
The many trips and adventures of the Wild Goose during John Wayne's ownership were written about in a 1993 book. The book, called On Board with the Duke, was written by John Wayne's former captain, Bert Minshall. Minshall worked on the Wild Goose for 16 years alongside Wayne.
The Wild Goose Today
The Wild Goose is still in use today! It operates as a cruise yacht for dinner cruises in Newport Beach, California. The company Hornblower Cruises owns and operates it. Because of its interesting history, the Wild Goose was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 2011. This means it is recognized as an important historical landmark.
- Photo gallery of USS YMS-328 at NavSource Naval History
(92 pages, with figures and photos)
