Sakarissa YT-269

Sakarissa

(YT-269: dp. 345 (f.) 1. 100'; b. 26'; dr. 9'7", s. 16
k.; cpl. 14; cl. Hiawatha; T. V2-ME-A1)

Sakarissa (YT-269) was laid down as Port Madison under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 436) on 13 April 1942 by Birchfield Boiler, Inc., Tacoma, Wash., Launched on 14 July 1942, sponsored by Mrs. William Walker; acquired by the Navy on 12 April 1943 and renamed Sakarissa (YT-269); and placed in service on 26 April 1943.

Following her initial training, Sakarissa was assigned to ABSD-1 and began work to prepare that sectional dock for transit from the west coast to the New Hebrides. At the end of August, the sectional dock was ready and Sakarissa departed San Francisco in the force which towed ABSD-1 west. Thirty-four days later, on 2 October, she reached Espiritu Santo and began work to reassemble the ABSD at Pallikulo Bay, between Aessi Island and Espiritu Santo. The job, delayed by accidents, stretched through November. Early in December, the ABSD began docking and repair work. Sakarissa remained assigned to the sectional dock to assist in docking and undocking warships and merchant ships that required her services.

In the spring of 1945, the ABSD was ordered further west; and, after being dismantled, departed the New Hebrides in July, accompanied by Sakarissa, now designated YTB-269 and other ships assigned to her. By the end of World War II, services had been resumed at Samar, Philippines. The large number of ships involved in post-war activities and the limited facilities available, kept the force occupied into the spring of 1946 when the number of ships had dwindled and permanent docking facilities had been established. ABSD-1 was ordered decommissioned and inactivated. Sakarissa, with other tugs, was ordered back to the United States. In mid-April, the YTB departed the Philippines. By mid-May, she was in the Marshalls and, in mid-June, she arrived in Pearl Harbor. Two months later, she resumed her voyage eastward and reached San Francisco on 22 August. Sakarissa, redesignated YTM in 1962, provided harbor tug services to the 12th Naval District until 15 January 1974. At that time, her name was struck from the Navy list, and she was transferred to the Maritime Administration for further service with the Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, Calif.