USC&GS Romblon

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).[2][3][note 2]

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.[3]

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.[3][4]

Romblon was transferred from the Philippine Commission to the Coast and Geodetic Survey for Philippine survey work on November 1, 1905.[5] 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.[6] All crews were Filipino.[7]

Romblon was retired from service in 1921.[12]