No matter how many boat photos cross my desk in a week, some catch my eye while others... well, don't. Miss Ann, a 118-foot steel yacht, was definitely one that made me stop and look twice. Or even three times.

Miss Ann dockside

Miss Ann was known as the USS Aquamarine during her World War II service.



She started life in 1926 as the 118-foot steel yacht Seile, built by the Pusey & Jones Shipyard in Wilmington, DE. After 15 years as a private yacht, she was sold to the U.S. Navy in 1941 and, as the USS Aquamarine, fitted with two 30-caliber guns for war work. Between 1945 and 1946, USS Aquamarine also served as a special tender to the presidential yachts USS Potomac and USS Williamsburg.

Read more about this very special yacht, which is for sale on YachtWorld:

Miss Ann: Longevity, Beauty and Prestige

Written by: Carol Cronin
Carol Cronin has published several novels about the Olympics, sailing, hurricanes, time travel, and old schooners. She spends as much time on the water as possible, in a variety of boats, though most have sails.