USS Zaca (IX-73)
USS Zaca is a wooden-hulled, schooner-rigged yacht with an auxiliary engine.
History
She was commissioned by, Charles Templeton Crocker, to a design of Garland Rotch, and built by Nunes Brothers Boat and Ways Co. as a vessel for sailing around the world with all the modern conveniences of the time. When his new boat was completed in 1930 at Sausalito, California, Crocker spent the 1930s sailing the Zaca around the world on various expeditions, primarily in the name of scientific discovery and on behalf of the California Academy of Sciences, where many of his records sit now. From the Palmyra Atoll to the Galapagos, Crocker collected and documented plant and animal life with a small crew of scientists and artists, including noted photographer and Japanese artist, Toshio Asaeda.World War II
Due to the need for local patrol and rescue craft in the busy waters in the San Francisco area during World War II, the schooner was acquired by the Navy from Templeton Crocker on 12 June 1942. Placed in service on 19 June 1942 and assigned to the Western Sea Frontier, Zaca was classified a miscellaneous auxiliary and designated IX-73. She was the second ship of that name to serve in the US Navy, and operated as a plane-guard ship, standing ready to rescue the crews of any planes downed nearby.Eventually relieved by the frigates of Escort Squadron 41, Zaca was placed out of service at Treasure Island, California on 6 October 1944; and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1944.