| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Nepenthe |
| Namesake | Previous name retained |
| Builder | Mathis Yacht Building Company, Camden, New Jersey |
| Yard number | 67[1] |
| Completed | December 1916 |
| Acquired | 7 June 1917 |
| Identification | Official number 214676[1] |
| Fate | Returned to owner, 5 October 1917 |
| Notes | Operated as private houseboat Nepenthe before and after naval service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | House boat |
| Tonnage | 20 tons |
| Length | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Beam | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Draft | 2 ft 10 in (0.86 m) |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
USS Nepenthe (SP-112) was a luxury yacht belonging to James Deering and used at his estate, Vizcaya in Miami, Florida. The yacht was completed December 1916 and delivered to Deering who immediately took the yacht to Florida. Nepenthe was acquired by the United States Navy, designated a house boat though given the S.P. indicator of a section patrol vessel, and used briefly from 7 June to 5 October 1917.[2] The yacht resumed its place at the estate until it sank in 1926 during a major hurricane one year after Deering's death. After salvage the yacht was sold.
- ^ a b Colton, Tim (June 6, 2018). "Mathis Yacht Building, Camden and Gloucester City NJ". ShipbuildingHistory. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ^ Construction & Repair Bureau (Navy) (November 1, 1918). Ships' Data U.S. Naval Vessels. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 315. Retrieved 8 September 2018.