Historical Background: See below (attached file)

Construction:

WOOD:  Most of the boat is constructed of fir that was Wolmanized (a dipping process similar to today’s pressure treatment).  The hull was constructed from 3-4” thick winter-cut Douglas fir. Fir was also used on the planks, sheerstrake, bulwarks, house, and other structures.  The stem and stern post were white oak. The billboards, guard face (rubrail), and caprails on the bulwarks were made of ironbark.  Railings were constructed of teak with bronze stanchions.  Doors and trim throughout the boat are also teak.  Wood in the officers’ quarters is mahogany.

METAL:  Fittings and fasteners, including bolts, washers, nuts, spikes, and galley fixtures, were primarily made of Monel, which is an incredibly corrosion-resistant metal alloy.  Other metal fixtures include the copper cowl vents forward of the pilot house and the bronze portholes.  The shafts, propellers, and struts are bronze.  The four metal watertight bulkheads are made of galvanized steel. The deck cleats are made of steel and the hawse chocks are bronze.  The two anchors are approximately 665 pounds, with 75 fathoms (450 ft) of chain on the starboard side and about 15 fathoms (90 ft) of chain and about 450 feet of cable on the port side. The anchor chains are 7/8” stud-link chain (which means each link is a little bigger than 3” x 5” W x L.)   The anchor  winch is the original Markey unit.

Propulsion:

The original engines were Cooper-Bessemer E-N-6 direct reversing diesel engines (4 cycle, 6 cylinders sized to attain 150 HP at 150 rpm with 48-inch props.  Specifications indicate that each engine was not to weigh more than 11,600 pounds.  Standard cruising speed as a government boat (no worries about fuel consumption) was approximately 10 knots, and the boat had an estimated range of 5400 miles with the original engines.

After the boat was sold at a government auction following the 1967 season, the Cooper-Bessemer engines were replaced with twin 3306 Caterpillar engines and transmissions were added.  There are 4 fuel tanks holding a total of about 4200 gallons.

Pronounced with a soft "G" as in "Geronimo".