Commissioned in 1936 by Francis Brownell, President of Seattle First National Bank,  Flying Cloud  was designed by Edwin Monk, Sr. and launched by Grandy Boat Works in April of 1937.  She was the first documented private yacht of her size built on the west coast with twin diesels, and was also the first west coast yacht to be built with Monel props and shafts.  Conscripted by the Coast Guard and later the Navy in World War II, Flying Cloud was outfitted with sonar and depth charges as she patrolled Puget Sound and the Juan de Fuca straits watching for enemy submarines. [BH16]