Henry C. Grebe & Company, Chicago IL

Henry Grebe opened his yachtbuilding yard in 1921 on a site previously occupied by Great Lakes Boatbuilding: it closed in the 1960s.  It was located on the North Branch of the Chicago River, just northwest of the West Belmont Avenue Bridge: the site is now occupied by the Belmont River Club townhouse complex.  Little more is known about this yard, however, and if anyone can provide any information about either the yard or the ships it built, please e-mail it to me at tim@coltoncompany.com.

    Customer Type Navy Type Pennant # Tons Delivery Disposition
  Solace II L. S. Wallace Power Cruiser       1925  
  Courier   Recreational     32 1939 Active
  Flying Gull   Recreational     27 1940 Active
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 84 278 23-May-42 Mined off Borneo and lost 1945 
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 85 278 30-Jun-42 To the USSR as T-600 1945, scuttled 1956 
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 171 278 29-Mar-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2171, to Greece 1946 as Kefallinia, struck 1966
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 172 278 17-Apr-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2172, to Greece 1946 as Kerkyra, struck 1960
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 173 278 1-May-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2173, to Italy 1947 as Begonia, later Ebeneser 1954, sank 1983
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 174 278 22-May-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2174, sold 1947
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 175 278 5-Jun-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2175, to Egypt 1949 as Gaza, to Algeria 1962 as Djebel Aures, wrecked 1963
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 176 278 10-Jul-43 Struck 1946
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 177 278 18-Jul-43 Struck 1946
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 178 278 27-Jul-43 To the USSR 1945 as T-585, scuttled 1956
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 179 278 14-Aug-43 Reclassified 1947 as Cardinal (AMS 4), to Brazil 1960 as Javari (M 11), scrapped 1970
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 180 278 28-Aug-43 To the USSR 1945 as T-606, scrapped 1956
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 181 278 12-Sep-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2181, struck 1946
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 182 278 25-Sep-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2182, to Greece 1959 as Lambadias, struck 1968 
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 279 278 2-Oct-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2279, sold private 1946 as Rudolf Diesel, still active in the Netherlands
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 280 278 16-Oct-43 To Britain 1943 as BYMS 2280, to Italy 1947 as Verbena, struck 1966
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 405 278 8-Nov-43 Struck 1946, sold 1947
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 406 278 20-Nov-43 To Norway 1945 as NYMS 406, Rana 1948, struck 1962
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 407 278 8-Dec-43 Struck 1946
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 408 278 18-Dec-43 Sold 1946, burnt and lost in the 1980s
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 409 278 1-Jan-44 Foundered in the North Atlantic and lost 1944
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 418 278 21-Sep-44 Struck 1946
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 419 278 28-Oct-44 Reclassified 1947 as Mockingbird (AMS 27), to South Korea 1956 as Ko Chang (MSC 521), struck 1977
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 420 278 5-Feb-45 To Canada 1951 as HMCS Cordova (MCA 158), scrapped 1957
US Navy Minesweeper YMS 421 278 3-Mar-45 Foundered off Okinawa 1946
  S. T. S.   Towing Vessel     50 1943 Active
  Samish Dunlap Towing Towing Vessel     58 1944 Active
  Big Chief   Towing Vessel     54 1944 Later Champion II, now Tugugly 
  John Ackerman   Towing Vessel     42 1945 Active
  Goblin   Towing Vessel YTL 450 50 1945 Now Vancouver
  Miss Carol Ann Merritt & Sons Inc Passenger     58 1947 Active
  Betty Gay I   Recreational     56 1947 Later Patrician Lady V, now Shawnlacesan
  Harvest Moon   Recreational     56 1948 No longer documented
  Wanigan III   Recreational     88 1949 Now Veritas
  Ilys   Recreational     30 1950 Now Patriot Seal
  Water Nymph   Recreational     29 1950 Active
  Full Moon General Boat Co Passenger     56 1950 Active
Betulla US Navy Minesweeper AMS 74 330 6-Jul-53 To Italy as M 5504, to Greece 1995 as Erato (M 60)
Castagno US Navy Minesweeper AMS 75 330 2-Feb-54 To Italy as M 5509, to Greece 1995 as Euniki (M 62)
Cedro US Navy Minesweeper AMS 76 330 26-Oct-54 To Italy as M 5513, struck 1993
  Christiana   Recreational     17 1956 Now My Island
  Skyline Queen Mercury Sightseeing Passenger     45 1959 Active
  Rushmere Mercury Sightseeing Recreational     41 ?? Now Lady Grebe
  Misty   Passenger     83 1960 Later Ellen Ruth, now Mercedes III
  Florencia II   Recreational     68 1961 Active
  Lady Hornblower Hornblower Yachts Passenger     50 1963 Active
  Pusseaphut   Recreational     47 1964 Now Elegante
  Iroquois   Recreational     46 1965 Later Box Office, now Iroquois again
  Lucky Six National Marine Inst Recreational     50 1965 No longer documented
  Amanda Blaire   Recreational     46 1965 Now Daddy's Money

196

 Life of Riley   Recreational     46 1966 Now Northstar
  Leanna Katherine Anchor Marine Fishing Vessel     14 1967 Active
  Santee Santee Management Recreational     64 1970 Active