The SS Cotati was a steam cargo ship constructed between 1918 and 1919 by the Moore Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Oakland, California, as part of the United States Shipping Board's efforts to bolster the wartime merchant fleet. Designed as a standard Design 1015 cargo vessel, she measured approximately 402.5 feet in length (between perpendiculars), with a beam of 53 feet and a depth of 32 feet. Her steel hull featured longitudinal framing based on the Isherwood system, providing enhanced structural strength. The vessel was equipped with four main holds and five large hatches, supported by ten winches and derricks to facilitate efficient cargo handling. Powered by a single Scotch marine steam turbine rated at 2,800 shaft horsepower, Cotati could reach speeds of up to 11 knots. Her machinery was fueled by three oil-fired Scotch boilers. The ship also boasted modern features for her time, including wireless communication, submarine signaling equipment, electrical lighting along decks, and a carbonic anhydride refrigeration system capable of providing over 307,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space across eight chambers. Launched on 30 March 1919 and delivered to her owners on 26 August 1919, Cotati was immediately commissioned into service. Her initial voyages involved transporting goods such as flour from San Francisco to the East Coast of the United States and Europe, including trips to Rotterdam, Hamburg, and South American ports. She also carried frozen meat and other cargoes, supporting post-World War I relief efforts and commercial trade. Notably, on one voyage in 1920, she rescued the crew of the distressed schooner Jane Palmer. After several years of service, Cotati was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet at the end of 1921, remaining inactive through the 1930s. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission in 1936 and remained in reserve until 1941, when she was sold to British interests and renamed Empire Avocet. During World War II, she was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the British flag. Her service ended tragically when she was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-125 on 30 September 1942 while en route from South America to Freetown. The attack resulted in the loss of two crew members, while the survivors were rescued, and the ship's captain and chief engineer were taken prisoner. The SS Cotati/Empiire Avocet thus holds a notable place in maritime history as a wartime merchant vessel that served through both world wars before her sinking during the Battle of Atlantic.

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