Kaimiloa

The Luzon was commissioned with and official number of 141642 and a signal number of KPTV. Built in 1900 by Hay & Wright in Alameda Ca. for M. Sanders, 545 tons with a length of 170.0 Ft, a beam of 36.8 Ft., and a draft of 12.2 Ft fully loaded, she was a four masted wood hulled schooner with 1 deck, captained by J.G. Park.  Her home port was San Francisco Ca.

For more than 20 years she plied the Pacific as a common carrier, carrying lumber and copra out of the South Seas for many years, so the mystical isles were not unfamiliar when she sallied forth on her research-cruise through the mystical isles below the equator.

 In November 1923, she was sold to M.R. Kellum from it's mooring in Sausalito California and the change from lumber schooner to yacht was done by Lewis Madden & Co. at Sausalito during 1923 & early 1924.

 In 1924, the Luzon was renamed, historically, Kaimiloa, in Hawaiian meaning “to search afar”. She was entirely refurbished and provided with equipment necessary to transform her from a roughneck agent of commerce to a comfortable vessel able to stay away from port a half year or more at a time. 

Under the scientific expertise of the Bishop Museum of Hawaii, the goal was to make the most exhaustive South Seas study of geology, anthropology, botany and ethnology of the time.

 The crew consisted of a captain, mate, chief engineer, assistant engineer, radio operator, doctor, boatswain, carpenter, cook and assistant, three Japanese stewards, one laundry man, two tutors, one of which acted as photographer, the other as purser.

Equipement

• A new set of sails (four head sails had gaff rig sails on the fore, main, mizzen masts with a leg of mutton sail on the spanker, or after mast. The three forward masts carried gaff topsails; also on the foremast, a large square sail). With a good breeze she sailed at an average of 8 knots with sails alone.

• One 1,500 gallon tanks for oil 

• One 1,500 gallon tanks for water

• A 110 horse power diesel Westinghouse engine, to be used be used for auxiliary purposes, and to provide a speed of 6½  knots.

• Four sources of power were available and if any three should breakdown: a 40 h.p. Atlas Imperial Diesel to take charge of electric lights operating a 25 kW dynamo. For auxiliary electric light power, the yacht has one 10 kW dynamo belted to the flywheel of the port engine and one 12½ kW generator belted to the starboard engine. All three dynamos lead to the switchboard and any one can run any outfit aboard the boat and anyone or all can be used at the same time.  Any one or all can supply electricity to the storage batteries, giving sufficient power to run every electrical contrivance on board for a period of eight hours with a dynamo at work.  

• An automatic refrigeration plant that enabled the boat to carry enough meat for 30 persons 90 days, and a plant that could make 200 pounds of ice every 24 hours.

Radio and safety equipment

• A complete radio plant which is run by Fred Roebuck, will keep the members of the expedition in touch with the civilized world at al times.  

• The first short-wave transmitter ever installed aboard a ship (Heintz & Kaufman, ltd.)

• The latest life saving devices 

• The laboratory for the use of the scientist is 50 feet long running the full width of the boat in the hold from just of the hatch to her bow, with 8 feet of head room. There are hatches underneath the laboratory floor for all kinds of store with a large supply of bottles and containers in which the scientist preserved fish and specimens of marine life for the Bishop Museum. 

Layout 

• The dinning-saloon, 20 by 28 feet, is placed at about the centre of the vessel and is fitted with four tables with six seats to a table.

• Running aft from the dinning-saloon is a long passageway leading to the companionway which goes to the deck.  

• On the port side of the passage are four staterooms and two bathrooms; a first class pantry,

• On the starboard side there are two staterooms and the owners stateroom, another room and two bathrooms.     

• Forward of the dinning-saloon is a companionway leading to the hatch and on the port side of that there is a pantry, a galley, officers mess-room, cook and steward’s rooms, laundry and crew’s mess, also lavatories, lockers and shower baths.

• On the starboard side is the captains stateroom. There are also lockers, lavatories, a shower bath a mates room, radio room, the crew’s quarters, crew’s lavatories and engine house.  

Comfort

• All rooms and quarters were commodious with up-to-date plumbing and electric lights and fans installed in each stateroom.

• A darkroom, completely furnished and provisions have been made for the taking of moving pictures.

• A motion picture machine

• A daily newspaper will be published on board.

“The big yacht, 700 tons, was luxury itself. There was nothing fancy about her, but plain, solid comfort; large cabins, with bath rooms attached, and plenty of clothes-closets, etc. a deck house had been built on the main deck, from the poop to just abaft the foremast, on which everybody lived. The top of this house formed a magnificient promenade deck, nearly the whole length of the ship. Her original rig of fore and aft schooner was left standing, but twin Diesel engines had been installed, having sufficient power to give about 6 ½ knots. She also had an electric plant and a very efficient freezing plant. We revelled in such treats as thick cream, and prime beef, which are unknown here.”

« South Sea Settlers » 1927, JR and BB Grey

The Kaimiloa was sold in 1937 to a foreign country, to fly the flag of the Chinese.