The ship I served on for 4 years in the USN.
USS Jacana Navy stock photo, 143 feet
Line drawings found online
Starting hull
Model is slightly larger than 3/8″ to 1 foot
Superstructure
Details
Bridge details
Aft deck
The insignia of a Minesweeper
Mid deck and liferafts
House front, all items hand made
Bill's Boat Models 
You are awesome Bill.
Thanks!
My favorite!
Wow Bill,
That’s how I remember her back in the days when we were shipmates. That is an outstanding recreation of the old J Bird for sure. Hope we can get together soon to chat about those old adventures we shared a half century ago when it seemed like the Guantanamo Bay was more our home port than Little Creek. If you don’t mind, I would like to put this on my Facebook page.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I see you found the site, and thank you! Give me a call any day, it was great hearing from you.
Bill
I served on the Jacana for a little less than a year back in 1967 – 1968. I was transferred to another command in July 1968 and the Jacana was sent to the reserve fleet that fall. She was sent to Fall River Mass. I understand she was loaned/ sold to Indonesia and may have been scrapped eventually.
Your model is outstanding. I can still wander through the ship in my mind. Seems my normally poor memory still holds many details of the Jacana.
Thank you, Jeff. Best years of my life.
Bill
Wow! I served on uss cormorant msc-122 in japan 1960 to 1962 and i built a 6 ft. model of it with no hull contours. would you send me on e mail the hull contours? I sold my ship like an idiot and have to build a new one.I sent you my e mail. Im 70 yrs old and m going totry to build 122 again. tks,stan sieminski.
Stan I was on the Phoebe at the same time you were on the Cormorant. check out our website please. http://www.ussphoebe.com
3May2013
Hi Bill: I was on the commission crew of the Jacana. Only lasted about (I think) a year then went to recruiting duty. Q: What would a mopdel of the 193 cost me? We once ran aground and another time rammed a work hull at Little Creek. Retired in 1970. Am 85 next week. Feel the Navy has treated me far , far better than I deserved. darlorp@hbci.com D.L.Poffenberger YN YNCS<USNRET
Hi Bill Stevens
It is a very nice model you have built. For me, this particular model is of great interest, as I performed military service in the Danish minesweeper M 278 Vilsund in the year 1975.
M 278 is built at Harbor Boat Building CO, Terminal Island, CA, and was originally transferred from the U.S. to Denmark in 1956.
In the U.S. M 578 was called by the numbers MSC 264 / AMS-264.
The Danish minesweeper M 578 are In other words, exactly the same type as the model you have built.
I have long been planning to build a model of the M 578 Vilsund, but I lack information on the dimensions of the frames.
I would be pleased if you can help me with information on the dimensions of the frames. All the best!
Thomas Albøg Olsen – Denmark.
Hi Thomas,
Not absolutely sure what you’re looking for but I think you’re referring to the offsets? I took her length (145 feet) and her beam and draft, and then from my memory I drew offsets. From there I create the keel and ribs, etc.
Let me know what dimensions you’re missing. Mostly, tho, it’s from memory and experience.
Thanks,
Bill
Aboard Jacana June 1966 and shortly after we deployed to Cuba and pinned on my SM 1st class crow there. On arrival Little Creek, Va volunteered to do the CDO duties and Ensign Clarey let me use his stateroom that night (my wife stayed aboard) Clarey’s dad was a 3 star admiral at the time. Jacana sent me to the new 5 week career counseling school and soon I had 2 reenlistments on board both for independent duty in London, England. a YN3 and a RM2. July 1967 detached and went to recruiting duty in Chicago. Later had duties in Pearl Harbor and 5 deployments to Vietnam. Retired from the navy in May 1979. During my tour on Jacana no chiefs on board and 4 first class.
Jim Gray I was aboard Jacana 1965 and 1966 With my brother Paul Edmond Gray, we were known as Big Gray and Little Gray I was 17 fresh out of boot camp.. Thanks for posting this page.
Bill-was reminiscing about my time in service and came across your site-terrific work depicting a great ship. I was XO under Niles Berry in 1967-68 and enjoyed my tour on Jacana. As a matter of interest, one of your 2012 postings was from a shipmate named Jeff Hooper, and I believe he was the one who did an oil painting of Jacana for me which I still own and cherish. If you have time, please pass this on to him. Thanks. Jim Sovik
Bill, Thanks for sending Jim Sovik’s kind comments on to me. I remember him and the painting I did for him. I’m very glad to hear that he still has it and enjoys it. Happy New Year Jim.
Best wishes to all!!
Jeff Hooper STG3 USNR
Hi Jeff,
I served on the A963 SPA, from the Belgian Navy, in 1988-1989 as navigator. At that time I believe she was the last of her kind in active service. In the early 1990ies she was finally decomissioned and sold to a Dutch maritime heritage foundation.
She was renamed “Bernisse” and continues to sail as a museum ship. You’ll find her on the internet :
http://www.msbernisse.nl/pg-27199-7-71262/pagina/home.html
I admired the pictures of your model, and I must say they take me back to that wonderful year. A marvelous job !
Regards,
Harry
Great job Bill, I served on the USS PHOEBE MSC 199 our web site is http://www.ussphoebe.com