Whatever happened to McQueen's USS San Pablo?

[Story]

I was surfing for something else and found this, what looks like behind-the-scenes for the Sand Pebbles, w/o dialogue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8tpClQVVhs

Which led to this -

the real star of the film is a 150-foot steel-hulled gunboat, built by Vaughn & Jung Engineering Ltd. of Hong Kong. The San Pablo herself, river-going "home" of "The Sand Pebbles." An authentic replica of one type of U.S. navy gunboat used in China in the 1920's, the current San Pablo is powered with a diesel engine, will "sleep" a caretaker crew of six and is an ocean-going vessel capable of ten knots. She made the voyage by sea from Hong Kong to Taiwan and then back to Hong Kong, attesting to her stability.

http://www.thesandpebbles.com/production/production.html

On March 29, 2009 I received a letter (with photo) from Horrie Hunt, Australia:
"I noted that no one has come forward with info on the San Pablo. After the movie I believe it was sold to the De Long Timber Co. in the Philippines. It was renamed the “Nola D” after Nola Dianne Delong the owner's wife or daughter. It was later sold to Seiscom Delta Exploration Co. and used as a base camp in Indonesia until the mid 1970’s. I was on it in 1974 and have a photo of it at that time. Back deck turned into power house Helipad on the top. I lost track of it after that."
"Have a reply back from Jakarta. The Nola D was taken to Singapore and broken up in 1975."
http://www.thesandpebbles.com/san_pablo/demise_sanpablo.html

For more reading on the Yangtze Patrol
http://www.cityofart.net/bship/sand_pebbles.html

 

[Stearmen]

Villalobos

What a shame! I know she was not an exact replica of any China Gun Boat, but she did have a slight resemblance to the USS Villalobos which some of the scenes in the movie were based on, such as the opium burning, and the capture of the ship during the Spanish American war! I wonder if Steve Mcqueen new of her demise, she would have fit right into his oddball collection.

 

[DutchIndo]

I had a boss some 20+ years ago who was in the Navy during WWII. He had recollections of an " Old China " Sailor. " He had tattoos all over his body, he had a Chicken tattooed on one of his feet. The Chicken he said was because he was afraid of water ! " My boss said this old Sailor knew he wasn't going anywhere in life so thats why he did it. He recalls once while they were all preparing to go out on " Liberty ". It seems this old Sailor was always short on cash. This Sailor had a unique way of hitting people up for cash. My boss still blushing after some 40 years explains. " He was naked except for a tin mug tied around his waist. This mug was positioned over his butt. He would come up to us with money bend over and ask for a loan ! ". They would all pass on the " Offer " and gave him money anyways. The Old Sailor would make his own " Jungle Juice ". He would take Fruit Cocktail from the Galley add some Sugar. He would then bury it in the hills, a month later he get ripped. " That Old Sailor " my boss explained " was one of those guy the Navy sent to China and forgot about ".

 

[Corto]

Great YouTube video, Story...Never would have thought to have even looked for that...