High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! USS California (SP-249) -- later known as USS Hauoli (SP-249) – was a yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. It was outfitted as an armed patrol craft and, during the first part of its Navy career, patrolled and protected New York waterways. Later, it was assigned to Thomas A. Edison so that he could conduct underwater listening experiments related to antisubmarine warfare. Post-war the yacht was sold to a buyer in Tampa, Florida.