William Vincent Astor's yacht Nourmahal passing a lighthouse with the fleet beyond

William Vincent Astor's yacht Nourmahal was built in 1928 at the Krupp Iron Works in Kiel, Germany, presumably as a replacement for Astor's previous yacht Noma. In April, 1930, Astor took a group of scientists to Galapagos aboard the yacht, and made several additional visits over the next few years. Acquired by the U. S. Coast Guard 21 March 1940, the yacht was subsequently assigned to the U. S. Navy in 1942 and designated U. S. S. Nourmahal (PG-72).