Commissioned and built as a U.S. Government Bureau of Fisheries coastal patrol vessel, TEAL was built at Kruse and Banks Shipbuilding in North Bend, Oregon (Coos Bay) and launched July 13, 1927. Her original 180 hp Washington-Estep direct reversing engine has been replaced with a 350 hp Cummins 855 NTA "Big Cam" marine diesel engine, with a Twin-Disc model 514 reverse gear at 6.5:1 reduction.

The interior of the vessel has been extensively remodeled, with modernized systems and appurtenances for cruising comfort by her current and previous owners.

Teal served as a federal Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS) Alaska fleet vessel from 1928 through the 1940's and 50's; logging as many as 11,000 miles in a season, performing fisheries biology and enforcement duties between Seattle, Cook Inlet, Kodiak, and Adak, AK. Teal was stationed at Juneau, Alaska, during the late 1950's, becoming the first Alaska Department of Fish and Game vessel when Alaska gained statehood in 1959.