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SS Equality State

SS Equality State (T-ACS-8)
History
United States
NameSS Equality State (T-ACS-8)
BuilderTodd Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California
Laid down1961
Launched11 May 1961
Acquired1989
In service4 March 1965
Out of service28 July 2006
Stricken31 August 2016
HomeportBeaumont, TX
Identification
FateScrapped 29 June 2019
NotesLaunched as SS Washington Mail
General characteristics
Class and typeKeystone State-class crane ship
Displacement31,500 tons
Length668 ft 5 in (203.73 m)
Beam76 ft 1 in (23.19 m)
Draft33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
PropulsionSingle screw, 2 GE geared turbine powered, 22,000 HP., Two Combustion Engineering WT boilers
Speed20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Capacity1,100 Cargo Containers
ComplementFull Operational Status: 89 civilian mariners Reduced Operational Status: 10 civilian mariners
ArmamentNone
Aviation facilitiesNone

SS Equality State (T-ACS-8) was a crane ship of the United States Navy. The ship was named for the state of Wyoming, which is also known as the Equality State. She was scrapped in June 2019.

History

Equality State was laid down on 6 July 1960, as the break-bulk freighter SS Washington Mail, ON 287238, IMO 5386605, a Maritime Administration type (C4-S-1s) hull under MARAD contract (MA 86). Built by Todd Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California, hull no. 77, she was launched on 11 May 1961, and delivered to MARAD 2 January 1962, entering service for American Mail Lines, a subsidiary of American President Lines. In 1971 she was lengthened and converted to a type (C6-S-1s) hull container ship by Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco, CA. On 26 November 1975 the ship was renamed SS President Roosevelt, after AML was merged into APL. She was sold to Delta Steamship Lines 7 September 1983, and renamed SS Santa Rosa. She was again sold to United States Lines in 1985 when USL absorbed Delta Line, and renamed SS American Builder. After the collapse of US Lines in 1986, the ship was returned to MARAD 6 April 1987 and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) at Hampton Roads, VA. In 1989 she was converted to a type (C6-S1aq) Crane Ship by Tampa Shipyards, Tampa, Florida. Completed on 24 May 1989, she was assigned to the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), under operation control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as SS Equality State (ACS-8).[1] Equality State was berthed at Houston, TX. and assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and was maintained in a four-day readiness status. Removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the National Defense Reserve Fleet (Beaumont, TX), 28 July 2006. She was designated for disposal in August 2016.[2]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Silverstone 2011 p. 237
  2. ^ "NATIONAL DEFENSE RESERVE FLEET INVENTORY MAR-612: RESERVE FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MONTHLY REPORT AS OF August 31, 2016" (PDF). MARAD - National Defense Reserve Fleet. U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. Retrieved 14 October 2016.

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