Joy was built as a private motor yacht of the same name by B. F. Wood at City Island in the Bronx, New York, in 1905. In June 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired her from her owners, T. M. Jones and P. C. Kauffman of Newport, Rhode Island, for use as a section patrol boat during World War I. She was commissioned as USS Joy (SP-643) in 1917. Assigned to the 2nd Naval District in southern New England, Joy performed patrol duty until declared unfit for service sometime in 1918. Joy was returned to Jones and Kauffman on 6 May 1919.