The USS Polly (SP-690) was a patrol vessel commissioned by the United States Navy during World War I, serving from 1917 to 1919. Originally constructed in 1909 as a private motorboat named Howmornel by the New York Yacht, Launch and Engineering Company in Morris Heights, Bronx, New York, the vessel was later renamed Kakhin IV and Polly before her Navy acquisition. The Navy purchased her on 14 May 1917 from William H. Merriman of New Haven, Connecticut, and she was commissioned the following day at Newport, Rhode Island. As USS Polly (SP-690), she was assigned to the 2nd Naval District in southern New England, where she carried out patrol duties for the duration of World War I. Her primary role was maritime patrol, contributing to coastal security during the wartime period. The vessel was stricken from the Navy List on 11 March 1919, following the end of her Navy service, and was transferred to the United States Bureau of Fisheries on 9 September 1919. Under the Bureau of Fisheries, she was renamed USFS Curlew and adapted for fisheries work. Based at Cape Vincent, New York, on Lake Ontario, she was utilized in fish-culture activities. In the summer of 1922, modifications included installing electric lighting and reinforcing her hull with metal plates at the waterline to enhance durability. Notably, on 24 September 1923, Curlew performed a rescue operation, saving 58 passengers from the Canadian steamboat Waubic, which had run aground near Bear Point in foggy conditions. During the late 1920s, the vessel underwent significant repairs and upgrades, including the replacement of her original engine with a diesel engine. Records indicate that she remained part of the Bureau of Fisheries fleet until at least 1937, but she was likely retired during the 1938 fiscal year. Throughout her service life, USS Polly/USFS Curlew exemplified versatility and durability, transitioning from a naval patrol vessel to a fisheries support craft with notable contributions to maritime safety and fish-culture efforts on Lake Ontario.

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