Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.


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
    Gem State 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
    Gem State 91k SS Gem State (ACS-2) moored pierside, date and place unknown.
    US Maritime Administration photo.
    Maritime Administration web site
    Gem State 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
    Gem State 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
    Gem State
    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
    Keystone State 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
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Crane Ship (ACS) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 1 April 2022