Alacrity, a 101 gross ton motor yacht, was built in 1910 at Wilmington, Delaware. She was leased by the Navy in late April 1917 and commissioned about a month later as USS Alacrity (SP-206). During the rest of World War I she was assigned to patrol service in the First Naval District, operating in New England coastal waters. Decommissioned a few days before the end of 1918, Alacrity was returned to her owner in April 1919.