Unforgettable ‘folks’ #3, the USS Garnet

There are times when people we’ve encountered stick in our memory (sometimes our craw). Other times an inanimate object having to do with lots of people remains in our brain due to its intriguing attraction and place in history.

Such is the case for me regarding a 500-ton ship with a fascinating history. She began her life as the Caritas, a steel-hulled private luxury yacht launched in Germany in 1925 for sugar magnate J. Perch Bartram of New York City.

She was a striking sight of 156.9 feet as she cut through the Atlantic Ocean with her glossy white exterior. And after she was taken over by the U.S. Navy during World War II, she still looked sharp, even with the changes that made her a Pacific Ocean warship designated USS Garnet.

I first saw the vessel in 1979 on a trip to Brookings, an Oregon coastal city. Caritas by then had served many functions besides her military service. It was an eye-opener, seeing such a large boat, then known as Ship Ashore Gift Shop & Museum, resting in a trench perhaps 40 yards off two-lane U.S. Highway 101 in Smith River, California, a few miles south of the Oregon border.

That first sight caused lots of second glances for many, due to the ship’s imposing presence. She was bow on to the highway, and her size, as well as portholes, railings and upper deck, took a moment to grasp due to the unusual location. Her paint job was no longer Navy gray. She stood proudly, mainly white with blue trim and a lower hull painted red.

Her naval history began in 1941 when she was converted for war. In 1942, sailing as the USS Garnet, she went through the Panama Canal to San Diego, then to Hawaii. Stationed in Pearl Harbor, she served for the remainder of the war as a convoy escort and patrol boat between Pearl Harbor and Midway. On board were up to 80 sailors, a cat, a dog and a mischievous monkey called Jo-Jo.

There are several reasons why the craft initially attracted me and has stayed strong in memory. One is simply that I am drawn to naval vessels. I wonder what it’s like below the main deck, what is in the wheelhouse and connected structures. And how about climbing all those ladders? Another strong reason is that my late wife, Jan, and her best friend, Marsha Geraghty, had the keys to the Ship Ashore from 1983 to 1991.

During that eight-year period they operated the gift shop as the Jolly Mariner. It was a great time for a curious dude who finally got to open all the doors ... er, hatches, and see what is behind the walls ... er, bulkheads,  and walk through the halls ... er, passageways. He (me) got to climb the ladders, stand in the wheelhouse and operate the engine order telegraph. I got to enter all the cabins, the galley, the mess halls, the accommodations for officers and enlisted. I mean, wow. Tight quarters though.

We studied the ship’s history so that we could answer the many questions from tourists.

 Yes, there were weapons on the Garnet: one 50-caliber gun, four 5-inch machine guns, two 30-caliber machine guns and two depth charge racks. She was an armed lady.

Yes, this is a real ship. It was towed 400 yards by 12 D-9 Caterpillar tractors from the water’s edge after the vessel was towed from Oakland in 1949 after being decommissioned. The towing in 1964 took 10 hours.

Yes, the ship first was used from around 1950 to the 1960s as a cocktail lounge and restaurant and fishing tackle store after it first arrived in Smith River. It was known as the Castle Rock.

The ship became a gift shop and museum in the late 1960s. It remained that way until 2013 when the Ship Ashore Resort owners closed it after 48 years. The ship is no longer accessible for visitors, but there are hints that the owners hope to turn it into a boutique motel. Who knows? But whether she becomes shipshape again or not she has a port in my memory.