During World War I, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sought suitable vessels for patrol service along the East Coast of Canada following warnings of increased U-boat activity. Finding few available in Canada, the RCN sent agents south to the United States to acquire ships. The RCN sent Aemilius Jarvis to acquire two yachts in New York City in July 1915. "Waturus", which was for sale by the shipbrokers Cox & Stevens for $80,000 in 1914, was one of the two Jarvis acquired for the RCN. The ship was renamed "Hochelaga", commissioned on 13 August 1915, and sailed to Montreal for conversion to an armed yacht. "Hochelaga" arrived at Sydney, Nova Scotia in September for duty on the Atlantic coast as a patrol vessel. The vessel was part of the East Coast patrol from 1916 to 1918. The ship was present in Halifax Harbour during the Halifax Explosion and suffered damage, with several crew members injured in the blast.