Baylander (IX-514)

Baylander (IX-514), ex-YFU-79, was a United States Navy Helicopter Landing Trainer (HLT), billed as the world's smallest aircraft carrier. It served as a practice landing site for helicopter pilots in the United States Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard.

Baylander
Baylander while it was stationed at NAS Whiting Field, Florida
History
United States
NameYFU-79
OwnerUnited States Navy
Awarded1 June 1967
BuilderPacific Coast Engineering Alameda, California
Yard number238
Laid down28 December 1967
Launched29 May 1968
Acquired5 July 1968
United States
OwnerUnited States Army
AcquiredMay–June 1970
Out of servicemid-1980s
United States
NameBaylander (IX-514)
OwnerUnited States Navy
Acquiredmid-1980s
In service31 March 1986
Stricken15 December 2011
IdentificationCall sign: NHLT
StatusPrivately owned; science outreach for Billion Oyster Project; moored at West Harlem Piers, New York
General characteristics
Class and type YFU-71-class lighter
Tonnage160 DWT
Displacement
Length125 ft (38 m)
Beam36 ft (11 m)
Draft7.5 ft (2.3 m)
Installed power2 × 450 hp (340 kW) Detroit Diesel 12V-71
Propulsion2 × propellers
Speed9 knots (10 mph; 17 km/h)
Complement2 officer, 10 enlisted
Aviation facilitiesHelo deck (no hangar)

History

The ship entered operations with the United States Navy in 1968 as harbor utility craft YFU-79 and served in the Vietnam War; from mid-1970 it served with the United States Army.[1] At the end of the war YFU-79 was withdrawn to Guam.[1] In the mid-1980s it was returned to the Navy and converted to a Helicopter Landing Trainer by Bender Shipbuilding in Mobile, Alabama, entering service on 31 March 1986 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.[1][2] By August 2006, she had achieved 100,000 accident-free helicopter landings,[3] and by the time of her retirement had surpassed 120,000 landings.[4] After being taken out of service and struck from the Naval Register in 2011,[5] Baylander was sold into private hands instead of being scrapped. In 2014, it was moved to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Marina in New York City and opened as a museum ship.[6] By mid-2016, the vessel had been relocated to the West Harlem Piers on the Hudson River.[7] As of July 2020, the Baylander serves as a restaurant and bar.[8][9]

Specifications

Baylander was built as Yard No. 238 by Pacific Coast Engineering (PACECO) of Alameda, California.[10] It is 125 feet (38 m) long, has a beam of 36 feet (11 m), and displaces 380 long tons (386 t) at full load.[5] Its helicopter deck was the same size as that of a Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.[2]

References
  1. "Helicopter Landing Trainer [HLT]-(IX-514)". NavSource. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. "Unique Ships of the U.S. Navy". United States Naval Institute. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. Kohr, Megan (29 August 2006). "100,000 Accident-Free Landings on Navy's Smallest 'Aircraft Carrier'". United States Navy. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  4. "Historic U.S. Navy Vessel Open to Public for First Time at Future Site of BBP Marina" (Press release). Brooklyn Bridge Park. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  5. "IX-514". Naval Vessel Register. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  6. Backwell, George (17 July 2014). "Historic Navy Ship Baylander Shortly Open to New Yorkers". MarineLink. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  7. Clark, Dartunorro (21 September 2016). "Vietnam-Era Navy Ship Finds New Berth at West Harlem Piers". DNAinfo.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  8. Leaden, Claire (14 July 2020). "This Old Aircraft Carrier In Harlem Is Now A Breezy Floating Bar • Baylander Steel Beach". SecretNYC. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. Pallini, Thomas (19 July 2020). "I ate at an outdoor restaurant in NYC built on what was once the world's smallest aircraft carrier. The vibe was great but the food was a huge disappointment". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  10. Colton, Tim (7 March 2016). "Pacific Coast Engineering (PACECO), Oakland and Alameda CA". Shipbuilding History. Retrieved 22 November 2016.

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