SS ''Cape Florida'' (AK-5071) was laid down 29 December 1969, as SS ''LASH Turkiye'', a

United States Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. Det ...

type (

C8-S-81b Type C8-class ships are a type of Heavy Lift Barge Carrier. Type C8 ships were the 8th type of ship designed by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) in the late 1960s. As done with the Type C1 ships and Type C2 ships, MARCOM circulated ...

) hull under Maritime Administration contract (MA 229) at

Avondale Industries Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. In 2011, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard was part of Huntington Ingalls Industries. It ...

Corp., New Orleans. She was launched, 10 October 1970 and delivered to the Maritime Administration, 12 September 1973, for operation by

Prudential Grace Line Prudential may refer to: Companies * Prudential plc, a British multinational insurance company ** Prudential BSN Takaful, a Malaysian takaful company ** ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, an Indian company * Prudential Financial, an American financ ...

. She was acquired by

Delta Line Mississippi Shipping Company (also called Delta Line) of New Orleans, Louisiana was a passenger and cargo steamship company founded in 1919. In 1961 officially changed its name to the Delta Line. The Mississippi Shipping Co. serviced port from t ...

and renamed SS ''Delta Caribe'' and SS ''American Caribe'' respectively. She was reacquired by the Maritime Administration for assignment to the

Ready Reserve Fleet The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...

(RRF) on 17 February 1987 where she was berthed at

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex **Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * Be ...

, Texas. When activated ''Cape Florida'' was assigned to the

Military Sealift Command Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

(MSC) as one of the Military Sealift Command's four LASH Ready Reserve Force Ships and could be activated in 10 days. She was removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the

National Defense Reserve Fleet The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...

, 28 July 2006.

References

SS Cape Florida (AK-5071)
*

External links

National Defense Reserve Fleet Inventory
285904157143 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Florida Ships built in Bridge City, Louisiana 1970 ships