History
In 1931 an elegant 87ft motor yacht was designed by Callis and built as the ‘Holiday’ for Mr William Morris Jr. of the William Morris Talent Agency in San Pedro, California.
Morris hosted dockside events in southern California and cruised aboard the ‘Holiday’ from Mexico to Alaska. If her walls could talk they would tell stories of hosting the who’s who of times past. Actors, Actresses, Singers and Stars alike enjoyed the same salon walls that we have the opportunity to enjoy today. From her teak decks and deckhouse to her fine mahogany interior she reflects an era long past when craftsmanship meant pride in artistry.
In 1939 the yacht ‘Holiday’ was purchased by the Reed family in Seattle, Washington.
In 1941 the yacht was commandeered for WWII, painted totally grey and converted to U.S. Navy Picket Ship “Q-136” to patrol along the Pacific and Alaskan coast.
After the war she was acquired by the Federal Government and put into service at the Mc Neil Island Federal Penitentiary transporting staff, prisoners and supplies. She was renamed the ‘James V Bennett’ after James Van Benschoten Bennett who served as director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 1937 to 1964.
In 1980, with the prison scheduled to be closed, the boat was donated to the Bellingham Sea Scouts. They named her ‘Discovery’ and used her as a Sea Scout exploration ship.