USC&GS Marinduque

USC&GS Marinduque was a steamer, owned by the Philippine Insular Government, that served exclusively in the Philippines as a survey ship in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1905 to 1932.

Acquisition
Marinduque, built 1901 for the Philippine government at a cost of $67,673.42, was transferred from the Philippine Commission to the Coast and Geodetic Survey for Philippine survey work on November 1, 1905.

The vessel was a steamer 132 ft in length with 23 ft beam and draft of 10.2 ft. She was named for the Philippine Island of Marinduque.

For operations in the Philippines the U.S. Government paid salaries, cost of travel to and from the Philippines and expenses for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey officers aboard the ships. The insular government paid crew salaries and expenses as well as having ownership of the vessels excepting the Pathfinder. All crews were Filipino.

Service History
Marinduque left Manila December 10, 1905 for her initial surveys on the west coast of Leyte between "Illongas" and "Polompon", then after a period in Manila April 10–23, 1906, the east coast of Luzon between Atimonan and Polillo island.

The work around Polillo island was in progress until October 10, 1908 when weather required suspension and return to Manila with the position of Ocata Island light house established. Seven typhoons had passed over the region and destruction of survey navigation marks was noted. After repairs at Manila the ship sailed January 25, 1909 for the south coast of Mindanao. at the request of military authorities due to open hostilities in the area. A detachment of twenty-two Philippine Scouts was taken aboard at Fort Margosatubig on January 30, 1909 and shore parties for the survey in the densely forested coast were armed and under armed escort during triangulation and topographic surveys of the shoreline. P. E. Angell, one of Marinduque's mates, drowned while attempting to reach a small boat anchored off Sigayan Point in Illana Bay on the south coast of Mindanao.

On more than one occasion, Marinduque had occasion to assist mariners in distress. On 21 October 1916, she came to the aid the schooner Florence, which was in distress with her sails blown away, part of her rigging gone, and her food and water low; Marinduque towed Florence to Coron on Palawan and then took Florence's captain from Coron to Manila on Luzon. On 7 July 1927, she helped the British steamer Paipeng, which was aground on Cap Island in the Philippines; Marinduque took off the majority of Paipeng's passengers and transported them to Jolo.

The ship was transferred to the Insular Bureau of Labor March 19, 1918 and alterations made for use as an inter-island cargo ship with its condition on return to the Coast and Geodetic Survey July 7, 1919 requiring work restoring the ship to seaworthy condition and suitability for surveys until September 26, 1919. During 1920, due to the Navy's discontinuing coaling of the C&GS ships, work took place convenient to an offer of coal by the governor of Mindanao and coal mines at Sandakan, Borneo where Marinduque surveyed in company with ''Pathfinder on the west coast of Mindanao, the Sulu Sea and Palawan closest to the coaling station at Sandakan. Much of Marinduque's work involved establishing the a triangulation network on the west coast of Mindanao on the Zamboanga Peninsula for survey navigation.

Marinduque, in Manila and just after extensive repairs, was fouled by another ship that broke from moorings during a typhoon that hit the city August 31, 1920 and sustained considerable damage while Romblon lost a whaleboat and the Manila tide station was demolished. Marinduque was inactive July 1, 1920 through March 15, 1921 with Romblon inactive the entire fiscal year due to inability to furnish C&GS officers for the ships and full reports only cover Pathfinder and Fathomer as actively surveying. From March 16 through May 13 Marinduque worked Bacoor Bay, Cavite and from May 24 through June 30 in Albay Gulf and Lagonoy Gulf.

Fate
Marinduque completed operations in the Sulu Archipelago August 31, 1932 and returned to Manila where the ship was decommissioned September 20, 1932 then sold by the Philippine Government.

External photos

 * Ken Crosby on the Marinduque (1924 photo).
 * A good place for crocodiles and snakes. Boat off the Marinduque in a jungle stream. (1925)
 * Operating the mechanical sounding engine on the Marinduque. (1925)