HMCS Caribou was an armed yacht that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, with a rich history both prior to and following her naval service. Originally launched in 1928 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co. in Bay City, Michigan, the vessel was initially named Memory III and registered in New York City. She measured 129 feet (39.2 meters) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 23 feet (7.1 meters), and a gross register tonnage of 306. Powered by a diesel engine driving two shafts, the yacht could reach a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h). She had a length overall of 142 feet (43 meters) and a draft of 9 feet (2.7 meters). In her private ownership, she changed hands several times, initially owned by A.E. Fitkin, then Sherburn M. Becker, and later H.B.H. Ripley, who renamed her Elfreda. During the early years of WWII, the Royal Canadian Navy requisitioned her, renaming her Caribou and commissioning her at Halifax on 27 May 1940 with pennant number S12, later Z25. She was converted into an armed patrol vessel, equipped with a single QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun and depth charges for anti-submarine warfare, and was manned by a crew of five officers and 35 sailors. Her service included guarding the entrance to Bedford Basin, a refit in August 1941, and patrol duties in the Bay of Fundy out of Saint John, New Brunswick. Notably, she and HMCS Husky were the only warships patrolling the area until motor launches arrived later in 1942. After being deemed unfit for front-line service in July 1942, Caribou transitioned to harbor duty as a training ship at HMCS Cornwallis, later moving to Saint John and finally Digby, Nova Scotia, where she finished her wartime service. She was decommissioned on 20 July 1945 and sold for commercial use in 1946. Post-war, she was sold to the Margaree Steamships Company and registered in Aruba as Inca Beatrix. She reverted to the name Caribou in 1951 and remained in service until her registry was deleted in 1963. Her varied career highlights her transition from private yacht to wartime patrol vessel and later commercial ship, reflecting her versatility and maritime significance.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.