(Photo courtesy of Ramon Jackson)

The Cayman Salvage Master was launched as the Lt. Col. Ellery W. Niles, a 163' long US Army minelayer built by Pusey & Jones of Wilmington, Delaware in 1937. She was a twin screw, diesel electric powered vessel. The sheaves on the bow were originally used to raise and lower bottom moored mines in coastal defense controlled mine fields. Converted in 1965, she became known as the Research Vessel (R/V) F.V. Hunt of Marine Acoustical Services, Inc. (later TRACOR) of Miami, Florida, named for Dr. Frederick V. Hunt, an acoustical researcher.

While there are many accounts of the Salvage Master being involved with the Mariel Boat Lift in 1979, apparently she was not actually involved in this event. Neglected, she sank at her dock in Key West. She was eventually scrapped and was prepared to be sunk in deep water as an artifical reef. However, as she was being towed to her designated resting spot in August of 1985, she sank prematurely, landing in 90' of water on her port side; later in 1985 Hurricane Kate uprighted her.