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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

SS Gem State (ACS-2)

Keystone State Class Crane Ship):

Laid down, 30 May 1965, as the breakbulk cargo ship, SS President Monroe, a Maritime Administration type (C6-S-1aq) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA 165) at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA.

Launched, 10 February 1965

Delivered to American Presidents Line, 25 April 1966

Converted in 1972 to a Container Ship (type C6-S-1qc) at at Todd Shipyard in Seattle, Washington.

American President Lines traded President Monroe to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in return for credit on the purchase price of a new vessel, 30 April 1980

Laid up in the National Defense Fleet at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet

Assigned by the Maritime Administration to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force, (RRF)

Named changed to SS Gem State, May 1985

Converted in 1986 from a container ship to an auxiliary crane ship (type C6-S-MA1qd)

Gem State is berthed at Alameda, CA. and is assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and is maintained in a five-day readiness status (ROS 5)

On 2 October 1991, the U.S. Navy’ Military Sealift Command (MSC) activated Gem State to support sealift operations during Operation Desert Storm

Gem State later participated in Desert Sortie, the operation to move military equipment, supplies, and ammunition out of the Middle East

MSC returned Gem State to MARAD, concluding its 136-day activation, 14 February 1992

Gem State is currently layberthed in Alameda, California as part of MARAD’s Ready Reserve Force

Specifications:
Displacement 13,999 t.(lt) 31,500 t.(fl)
Length 669'
Beam 76'
Draft 33'
Speed 17 kts.
Complement 89 civilian mariners
Cargo Capacity 300+ standard containers
Cranes six 30 ton capacity cranes
Armament none
Propulsion

two boilers

two steam turbines

single propeller, 17,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
Merchant Service American President Lines
	66k	American President Lines cargoliner SS President Monroe after a slight conversion to enable her to carry more containers, circa 1978, location unknown.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
Maritime Administration
	91k	*SS Gem State* (ACS-2)** moored pierside, date and place unknown. US Maritime Administration photo.	Maritime Administration web site
	91k	*SS Gem State* (ACS-2)** moored outboard of an unidentified breakbulk ship, date and place unknown. US Maritime Administration photo.	Maritime Administration web site
	193k	*SS Gem State* (ACS-2) moored outboard of SS Keystone State (ACS-1) and SS Grand Canyon State (ACS-3) in their lay berths at across from the ex-USS Hornet CVS-12)** at Alameda Point, (ex-NAS Alameda) CA., 27 December 2008.	Photo by Chris Rasmussen
09760205	155k	*SS Gem State* (ACS-2)** transits San Francisco Bay to conduct a 120-hour turbo activation. The ship is more than 50-years-old which is assigned to the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force. The U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) conducted turbo activation to measure personnel and material readiness of the selected Ready Reserve Force. US Navy photo # 160929-N-QL471-150 (Sept. 29 2016 SAN FRANCISCO) by PO2 Billy Ho.	Photo by Robert Hurst
	220k	*SS Keystone State* (ACS-1), SS Gem State (ACS-2) and SS Grand Canyon State (ACS-3)** in their lay berths at Alameda Point CA., 26 September 2017.	Dave Taskis

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 1 April 2022