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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

SS Grand Canyon State (ACS-3)

Keystone State Class Crane Ship):

Laid down, 20 March 1964, as SS President Polk, a Maritime Administration type (C4-S-1qa) hull under Maritime Administration contract (MA 164) at National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, CA.

Launched, 23 January 1965

Delivered to the Maritime Administration, 4 November1965

Renamed SS Grand Canyon State, date unknown

Assigned by the Maritime Administration to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force in 1986, as SS Grand Canyon State (ACS-3)

SS Grand Canyon State is one of the six crane ships assigned to MSC and is berthed at Alameda, CA.

SS Grand Canyon State is assigned to the Maritime Propositioning Squadron Three and is maintained in a 5-day readiness status (ROS-5)

Current Disposition, Transferred from Ready Reserve Force (RRF) to National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), Location, remains at Alameda, CA. Status, retention for "logistics support" (i.e. stripping of spare parts for sister ships on the US West Coast) ÿ> Specifications:
Displacement 16,325 t.(lt) 31,500 t.(fl)
Length 669'
Beam 76' 1"
Draft 33' 5"
Speed 17 kts.
Complement

Full Operational Status 37 civilian mariners

Reduced Operational Status 10 civilian mariners
Cargo Capacity 300+ standard containers
Cranes six 30 ton capacity cranes
Armament none

Propulsion

2 Combustion Engineering boilers

2 General Electric geared steam turbines

single shaft, 10,747shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
Merchant Service American President Lines
	134k	SS President Polk launching at National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, CA., 23 January 1965.	Photo by Jim Geldert
	67k	SS President Polk entering San Francisco Bay, date unknown. Note she has not yet been modified to carry additional containers.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	177k	SS President Polk departing San Francisco Bay, date unknown. Note she has been modified a breakbulk-container vessel to carry more containers.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	125k	SS President Polk under way at Singapore in 1981. Photo by Don Meehan from the Chris Howell Collection	Chris Howell, Southland Ship Stores Limited, Port of Bluff, N.Z.
MARAD RRF Reserve
09760318	185k	*Namesake* Grand Canyon State - Arizona is a state in the Southwestern United States. Arizona is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona shares the Four Corners region with Utah to the north, Colorado to the northeast, and New Mexico to the east; its other neighboring states are Nevada to the northwest, California to the west and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. (Wikipedia) Photos - Bright Angel is Grand Canyon’s premier hiking trail. Its endless switchbacks descend in the canyon, giving hikers epic views that are framed by massive cliffs. Photo by Michael Quinn, National Park Service. Entering Arizona westbound on highway I-10	Tommy Trampp
	85k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	MSC web site
	43k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Federation of American Scientists
	66k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3)** main deck cranes, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Federation of American Scientists
	77k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3)** main deck cranes, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Federation of American Scientists
	193k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3) moored inboard of SS Gem State (ACS-2) and SS Keystone State (ACS-1) 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
	198k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3)** passing west of Yerba Buena Island approaching the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco Bay bound for Alameda Point, 3 June 2014	Photos by CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG (Ret.)
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	233k	Vehicle Cargo Ships *SS Algol* (AKR-287), right, SS Capella (AKR-293) and SS Grand Canyon State (ACS-3) are assigned to the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force, and are moored in Alameda, Calif. These steam ships are more than 40-years-old and are maintained to be ready for deployment in five days or less. Also of note is the museum ship USS Hornet (CVS-12)**.	Lee Wahler
	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
	310k	*SS Grand Canyon State* (ACS-3), SS Keystone State (ACS-1) and SS Gem State (ACS-2)** in their lay berths at Alameda Point CA., March 2019.	Photos by Larry Lee RM1 USN Ret.
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