Al Larson Boat Shop


Al Larson Boat Shop or Al Larson Boat Building is a shipbuilding and dry dock repair company in San Pedro, California on Terminal Island. To support the World War II demand for ships Al Larson Boat Shop built: US Navy Sub chasers and Minesweepers. Al Larson Boat Shop was started in 1903 by Peter Adolph Larson, a Swedish immigrant. Larson started by building boats by hand from Pacific Northwest lumber. As the shop grew, he moved to its current location in Fish Harbor, in the Port of Los Angeles. Adolph Larson's son sold the boat shop in 1960 to Andy and Gloria Wall. The shop was small at this time with only five employees. The Wall family is still running the shipyard in the Port of Los Angeles. The shipyard is the only one in the Port of Los Angeles now operating and able to work on ships of all sizes with its 100 employees. The shipyard is at 1046 South Seaside Ave, Terminal Island, with 2.35 acres of land and 5.35 acres of waterways. The shipyard also runs a marina, Al Larson Marina.

Notable ships

  • YMS-1-class minesweeper: and.
  • Converted to Minesweeper and reefer ship:, and
  • SC-734 US Navy Sub Chaser, Patrol Boat, Keel laid 4/15/42. Launched 7/18/42. Commissioned 12/28/42. Transferred to Foreign in 4/25/47.
  • SC-735 US Navy Sub Chaser, Patrol Boat, Keel laid 4/20/42. Launched 8/29/42. Commissioned 3/12/43. Transferred to China in 6/30/48. The two SC-497-class submarine chasers had one 40mm AA gun, two.50 cal. machine guns, two depth charge projector "Y Guns," and two depth charge tracks. Powered by two 880bhp General Motors 8-268A diesel engines.
  • AB-67 renamed CG-56306, harbor tug built in 1937. Were 32 tons, top speed 11-knots. 56 feet long, a beam of 14 feet, a draft of 4.5 feet, powered by a 150 H.P diesel, was stationed in San Francisco.
  • AB-68 renamed CG-56307, harbor tug was stationed in Seattle. Specs same as AB-67.
Ship IDNameOwnerTypeTonsFeet LongDeliveredNotes
217945EsperanzaFishing Vessel34501919Active
251017Elsie BFishing Vessel22421926Renamed to New Hazard
226245LusitaniaManuel G. RosaFishing Vessel138911927
227967SacramentoAlfred SantosFishing Vessel2011031928
252776KatrinaFishing Vessel16401928Renamed to Ogenio
229947BremenToma MosichFishing Vessel127791930
231534PanamaJapanese ownersFishing Vessel2461071930
229339RainbowJoseph GiaconiFishing Vessel121791930
229335SenatorJoe P. SoaresFishing Vessel118791930
231078RelianceHerman TobyFishing Vessel3131171931Renamed to passenger vessel Ranger III, Hacklehead II
230641San SalvadorManuel M. MedinaFishing Vessel1561131931To USN in 1942 as Patrol Vessel, YP 281, lost in 1944
231083Santa MargaritaFranco Italian Pk'g.Fishing Vessel236981931Renamed to St Marie, Emerald C
223573MajesticKlemento ZarFishing Vessel197831934To USN in 1940 as, YP 166 1941, returned 1945
233381Jackie SueChristian GasparFishing Vessel197831934To USN 1940 as Parrakeet, to MARAD 1946
231372FearlessPaul VasovichFishing Vessel127871935To USN 1940 as Reedbird, to MARAD 1946, Renamed to Fearless, Star-Kist, now Colorado
235490VittoriaSalvatore FerrantaFishing Vessel63751936To USN 1942 as YP 298, to MARAD 1946, Renamed to Vittoria
236505BainbridgeSam MirkovichFishing Vessel130791937Broken up 1997
236806Santa MariaSanta Maria FishingFishing Vessel86791937Active
238878American VoyagerVan Camp SeafoodFishing Vessel137971937To USN 1942 as YP 287, destroyed 1947
VindicatorFishing Vessel1101061937To USN 1940 as, IX 194 in 1944, to MARAD in 1945
1099490CG 67US Coast GuardHarbor tug, Boarding Boat33561937Renamed to CG 56306, to Sea Scouts as Sea Otter
560021CG 68US Coast GuardHarbor tug, Boarding Boat33561937Renamed to CG 56307, sold as Lisa Lynn, Renamed to Once Bitten, now High Plains Drifter
SC 734US NavySub Chaser148d11028-Dec-42To Fleet Logistics Center in 1948
SC 735US NavySub Chaser148d11012-Mar-43To Taiwan 1948
YMS 86US NavyMinesweeper320d13612-May-42Struck 1946
254281YMS 87US NavyMinesweeper320d13615-Aug-42Sold as f/v Lee Russ, Renamed to Jane M
YMS 320US NavyMinesweeper320d13618-Aug-43Struck In 1946
YMS 321US NavyMinesweeper320d13625-Oct-43Renamed to in 1947, wrecked 1963
253722YMS 322US NavyMinesweeper320d13619-Nov-43Renamed to pilot boat Golden Gate, then f/v,
YMS 323US NavyMinesweeper320d13627-Dec-43To Korea 1948 as Ku Po, scrapped 1956
YMS 324US NavyMinesweeper320d13628-Feb-44Renamed to in 1947, struck 1959
YMS 325US NavyMinesweeper320d1367-Apr-44Struck 1946
246153PioneerMarion JoncichFishing Vessel183861944Renamed to Southern Explorer.
246274Seven SeasElmer J. DuzichFishing Vessel129781944Active as freight ship
246533City of Naples IIFrancesco AmalfitanoFishing Vessel110731944Renamed to Santa Teresa, Annie D
248199Sea HoundJoaquin PedroFishing Vessel247971945Renamed to Irene S, America, Tesoro del Mar
265818Pacific VentureWilliam J. DanosFishing Vessel45501953Active