Dedicated to one of the least know, most historical artifact of the United States.

The Celt/Sachem/USS Sachem SP-192/USS Phenakite PYc-25/Sightseer/Circle Line V... A 118 years old ship with one of the longest, most diverse and most historical career, which makes it an important witness of American maritime history.

  • Once a racing steam yacht
  • Then a anti-submarine patrol craft
  • A secret floating laboratory
  • A luxurious private yacht
  • A party-fishing yacht
  • Again an armed coastal submarine chaser
  • And a sightseeing ship

" This boat is the only ever way to link Thomas Edison with the Panama canal, Madonna, the Prohibition and the Ohio river... "

... Unfortunately this vessel is currenlty in deep disrepair, as a forgotten footnote in the history of our country, sitting peacefully in a small waterway near Cincinnati, Ohio.

How the Sachem ended up 2600 miles inland is a years long adventure. Yet it is one of many in her 118 years old history. USS-Sachem.org makes you travel through America in the 20th century, from the perspective of a loved ship which has seen it all.

Presidents having been aboard :

Warren G. Harding

Herbert Hoover

Other famous people having used the Sachem :

Thomas A. Edison (1917-1918)

Madonna (1986)

Appearances in movies :

Run across the river (1959)

Young Americans (1967)

And others

Estimated number of people having been aboard :

3 000 000 - 3 300 000

Military awards :

USS Sachem SP-192 / USS Phenakite PYc-25 can wear a chevron and eight stripes on her smokestack for her service in WW1 and WW2. Her crew was given the awards whose ribbons are shown here :

World War I Victory Medal

World War II Victory Medal

American Campaign Medal

About this website

These pages were made by a group of locals, maritime historians, ex-crew members and enthusiasts, seeking to preserve the memories conveyed by the Celt / Sachem / USS Sachem / USS Phenakite / Sightseer / Circle Line V, by researching her past and building her future, with a major restoration project.

The restoration

Because the Sachem is so akin to the US maritime History of the twentieth century, a restoration project is being prepared to put the ship back in service, to a much nobler condition, to serve as a floating museum. While the preparation takes long, you can discover how this will be done :

Get Involved

We need you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime project to be based on a nationwide campaign to save the Sachem. Every memory, every picture, every archive, every little piece, every volunteer hour, and every dollar matters. See how you can help restore a symbol of US history :