YF-740 (US Navy)

George Schneider (Sept 2026) writes: An interesting sighting was Pacific Tug Boat's new barge YRBM 56 (1359369). You're right, you've seen her before.

She was one of the 261-foot YFNB's built for the Navy in WWII. Originally YF 740, she became YFN 740 in 1946 when the Navy finally differentiated the self-propelled and non-self propelled lighters.

In 1949, when it was decided to make a separate class for the "Big" units, the seagoing ones, she became YFNB 19.

In 1968, the Vietnam era when the barracks ship variant were used as bases in the rivers, quarters were built in her warehouse and she was designated YRBM 19, a "Berthing and messing" barge, which just by coincidence, fit the YRBM numbering sequence. Sometime prior to 1994 she reverted to the designation YFNB 19.

In 2013 she was again redesignated a YRBM, this time YRBM 56, and showed up at San Diego where work began on putting modern quarters in her and adding the second deck typical of barracks barges. That work was never completed, and in 2025 she put up for sale. Only after her sale did the new owners put the number YRBM 56 on her for the first time. In contrast, her original number, YF 740, still shows in raised letters on her bow. For now the new owners haven't disclosed their intentions for her, and she's classed simply as a cargo barge.