Built as the Virginia Lee in 1928 at Quincy, Massachusetts, the ship participated in World War II. During the war, it provided escort duty in convoys (groups of ships) and carried essential war materials. After the war, and many owners later, it worked as a ferryboat between Boston, Plymouth, and Provincetown. While on the way to Houston, Texas, the ship was damaged in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was repaired and sold again with the ability to carry 70 cars and 1,200 passengers. A fire in 1964 made repair of the ship impossible. Around 1973, it was brought to Mallows Bay.