USC&GS Marinduque

USC&GS Marinduque was a steamer, owned by the Philippine Insular Government, that served exclusively in the Philippines. The ship was purchased by the Philippine Bureau of Coast Guard and Transportation to support both government logistical and administrative travel needs as well as the usual functions of a coast guard vessel. The vessel was transferred to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey serving as a survey ship from 1905 to 1932. Marinduque and Romblon were sister ships, both built in Japan.

The Philippine Bureau of Coast Guard and Transportation shortly after creation 17 October 1901 and organizing with Captain A. Marix, USN, in charge had ten 148 ft (45.1 m) single screw cutters under contract at Farnham, Boyd & Company, Shanghai, China and five twin screw cutters contracted at Uraga Dock Company, Uraga, Japan. All vessels were to have both passenger and cargo capability as one purpose was to have official communication between isolated parts of the islands and administrative centers. They were to be steel framed with teak hull with copper sheathing with accommodation for about twelve passengers and 150 tons of cargo. Those for the vessels constructed at Uraga Dock Company were for length overall 140 ft (42.7 m), 23 ft (7.0 m) breadth, and a maximum draft of 8 ft (2.4 m) with a speed of 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h). Marinduque was built at a cost of $67,673.42,

The cutters delivered by Farnham, Boyd & Company were satisfactory, meeting requirements. Romblon, arriving in Manila on 19 January 1903, and Marinduque that arrived 18 April 1903 were did not meet specifications. Romblon had been accepted by the agent in Japan, later dismissed for neglect of duty, but was found on delivery to have a draft exceeding maximum by 1 ft (0.3 m) to 1.5 ft (0.5 m) and when loaded with coal, water and ready for sea was down by the bow. Further, the "material and workmanship on hull, boilers, and engine were very poor" as well as the vessel not meeting speed and sea keeping requirements. Some corrections were made on Marinduque but on delivery the same poor workmanship and material quality was present along with some uncorrectable deficiencies. As a result, and negotiations with a director of the builder summoned to Manila, a settlement was reached to cancel the remaining three ships but with a loss of about $30,000 to the government.

There is a discrepancy in the build date for the ships with the normally authoritative register having a 1901 date and it is probably that date used in the USC&GS dates of later years. It is obvious from the fact the organization that ordered the vessels, the Bureau of Coast Guard and Transportation, only formed on 17 October 1901 and the delivery dates are January and April of 1903 that a 1901 date is not reasonable. It is possible that is the contract date and the vessels were under construction in 1902 as the three hulls cancelled were still incomplete when the problems with the Uraga construction became evident.

There is little record of service details. The cutters were commanded by American or European officers with Filipino petty officers and crewmen. The system was set so that vessels served particular routes serving communication and transportation functions with duties of coast guard in patrol and other typical duties of such a service being accomplished within that service. All vessels were lightly armed. They also acted as transports for both troops and law enforcement when necessary.

Marinduque was transferred from the Philippine Commission to the Coast and Geodetic Survey for Philippine survey work on November 1, 1905. 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.

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.