 On 16 September 1944, she set sail for the Naval Training Center in Miami, Florida, arriving there on the 19th.The next day "PC-1255" received orders to report to the Dade Dry Docks Shipyard to undergo conversion from a submarine chaser into a patrol gunboat.Her submarine hunting technology and antisubmarine weapons were replaced with six 20 mm, one twin 40 mm, and one twin .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 60mm mortar.