HMAS Sleuth (1917)

HMAS Sleuth was a patrol boat operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War I.

Built in 1901 by William Alfred Dunn at Berrys Bay, Sydney, as the steam yacht Ena for Thomas Dibbs, Commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Ena was purchased by the RAN in January 1917 for use as an auxiliary patrol vessel. She was fitted with a QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss gun on her bow and a searchlight. She was commissioned on 13 January 1917 as HMAS Sleuth and served as a patrol vessel along the Queensland coast and as a tender to the Training Ship HMAS Tingira.

She was paid off in 1918 at wars end and reverting to her original name Ena was sold on 19 February 1920. She was renamed Aurore afterwards.

Restored between 1984 and 1987, the ship completed a circumnavigation of Australia during 1987 and 1988.