However, their speed achieved was not significantly faster than converted World War II radar picket submarines.

Following trials off the New Hampshire coast, Sailfish conducted a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea before joining Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 6 at Norfolk, Virginia.

Sailfish resumed coastal operations out of New London in July, participating in fleet and NATO exercises, providing qualification training for prospective submarine officers and crews, and sharpening her own battle readiness.

Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1961 she was dispersed from New London to Rhode Island and while in port there a fire in the deep fat fryer caused significant damage burning nearly all of the cables running through the after battery compartment.

She returned to New London at the end of that weekend and the entire crew worked around the clock for five straight days replacing all of the cables.

Thirteen months later, in February 1966, she left the navy yard presenting a more sleek, streamlined appearance, broken only by the deck mounted fins of the new PUFFS sonar system.

These new fins duplicated on a miniature scale the form of her conning tower, giving her the dorsaled look of a large, beautiful fish, like the sailfish for which she was named.

Following an exhaustive checkout of her newly acquired systems and a period of refresher training, she deployed in July for her third Mediterranean tour.

Sailfish departed New London on 14 July; transited the Panama Canal; and, after a brief visit to Acapulco, Mexico, proceeded to Hawaii.

She was to be disposed of by the Security Assistance Program for cash sale to the Bolivian Navy, but remained berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Bremerton, Washington after the fall of the Torrelio government in August 1982.