YFB-49 (U.S.S.)

George Schneider (Email to Nauticapedia 07/12/2021) stated "I also saw something I haven’t seen for 15 years. She’s a former Crowley tug, which back then I somehow identified as the VALIANT (270466). Crowley had 5 tugs that had that same general appearance, 2 YTL hulls, 2 built by Pacific Coast after the War, and this one. This vessel was built at Mare Island as METINIC (YFB 49) and I don’t know what this vessellooked like then, but this vesselobviously had a hull similar to a 66-foot YTL. Bay Cities/Crowley put her in service in 1955 as VALIANT. This vessel was one of 5 idle tugs Crowley sold about 1999 that the buyer abandoned down near Hunters Point. None of them have been in documentation since then. I last saw her resurrected in a slough near the Delta Loop. I believe I identified her by her deck gear; no name was evident. This vessel was near, and painted the same at that time, as a 45-foot tug named CALIFORNIA (259996) which was owned by Michael Skarry, so probably he was VALIANT’s owner, too. Now this vesselhas a different paint job, but I’m sure it’s the same one, identified by the odd 2-pole light tower on her."