Mecosta (YTM-392)

History
United States
Name	USS Mecosta
Namesake	Mecosta,a 19th century Potawatomi chief.
Builder	Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation, Morris Heights, New York
Laid down	13 September 1944
Launched	28 October 1944
In service	20 January 1945
Reclassified	Reclassified YTM-391 1 February 1962
Fate	Sold to commercial interests 1 July 1981 Scrapped in 2012
General characteristics
Class and type	Sassaba-class harbor tug
Displacement	260 tons 345 tons (full)
Length	100 ft 0 in (30.48 m)
Beam	25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
Draft	9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) (full)
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	14

Originally contracted to be built as YT‑392 on 7 April 1941, Mecosta (YTB‑392) was laid down by Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., Morris Heights, N.Y., 13 September 1944; launched 28 October 1944: and placed in service 20 January 1945.

Mecosta was assigned to Service Squadron 1, Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, for a year of towing and salvage duties from arrival off the European coast 1 March. In March 1946 she transferred to the Naval Operating Base at Bermuda for support service as a large harbor tug for the next 9 years. She was redesignated YTM‑392 on 1 February 1962. Mecosta began operations with the Atlantic Fleet, based from Norfolk, Va., in March 1965, continuing her service to the fleet into 1969.

In 1981, she was acquired for commercial service by Seabrook Towing Incorporated and renamed South Carolina. Seabrook was purchased by McAllister Brothers Towing in 1987, with the tug retaining her name. In 2002, she was acquired by Tucker Roy Marine Towing and Salvage Company and renamed R. Marcel Roy. She operated under this name until she was scrapped in 2012.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
•  This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
• Photo gallery at navsource.org