SS Gem State

SS Gem State (T-ACS-2)
History
United States
Name	SS Gem State (T-ACS-2)
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, CA
Laid down	10 February 1965
Launched	30 May 1965
Acquired	7 May 1984
Homeport	Alameda, CA
Identification	IMO number: 6520911 MMSI number: 366451000 Callsign: WLDK
Status	In ready reserve since 1984. Five days needed to activate.
Notes	Launched as SS President Monroe
General characteristics
Class and type	Keystone State-class crane ship
Displacement	31,500 tons
Length	668 ft 5 in (203.73 m)
Beam	76 ft 1 in (23.19 m)
Draft	33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
Propulsion	two boilers, two steam turbines, single propeller, 17,500shp
Speed	17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Capacity	300+ Cargo Containers
Complement	Full Operational Status: 37 civilian mariners Reduced Operational Status: 10 civilian mariners
Armament	None
Aviation facilities	None

SS Gem State (T-ACS-2) is a crane ship in Ready Reserve for the United States Navy. The ship was named for the state of Idaho, which is also known as the Gem State.

Gem State was laid down on 30 May 1965, as a combination breakbulk-container ship, SS President Monroe, ON 501712, IMO 6520911, a Maritime Administration type (C6-S-1qa) hull, under MARAD contract (MA 165). Built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA, hull no. 340, she was launched on 10 February 1965 and delivered to MARAD on 25 April 1966, for service with American President Lines. She was converted to a MARAD type (C6-S-1qc) container ship, in 1973, and continued to be operated by APL until delivered to the Maritime Administration in 1982 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). In 1984–1985 she was converted to a type (C6-S-MA1qd) Crane Ship by Continental Marine, San Francisco, CA. She was placed in service as SS Gem State (ACS-2) 7 May 1984, assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force, (RRF).^[1] Gem State is one of 10 Crane Ships in the Surge Force and is berthed at Ready Reserve Fleet Alameda, assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and is maintained in a five-day readiness status (ROS 5).

• Polmar, Norman (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591146852.

• SS Gem State (T-ACS-3)
•  This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

• Military Sealift Command Ship Inventory

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