United States Department of Transportation
CAPE BLANCO
Year Built
1965
Official Number
505406
Ship Yard
Avondale Marine Ways
General Type
Break Bulk
Specific Type
Break Bulk
MARAD Type
--
Ship Length
540 feet
Beam
76 feet
Mast Height
143.0 feet
Net Tons
6320 tons
Gross Tons
10950 tons
Cargo Capacity
" 54033" square feet
Draft, Summer
22 tons
Draft, Lightweight
12.6 tons
Displacement, Summer
21840 tons
Displacement, Lightweight
7178 tons
Immersion, Summer
69.0 tons
Immersion, Lightweight
54.0 tons
Historical Narrative
The break-bulk cargo ship Cape Blanco was originally built as the SS Mason Lykes at the Avondale Shipyards in Avondale, Louisiana in 1965. The ship was delivered to its owner, Lykes Brothers Steamship Company on September 20, 1966. The Mason Lykes was a traditional break-bulk cargo vessel that transported cotton and other palletized and bulk cargoes from the Gulf of Mexico to the West Indies, Great Britain, and from the northern border of Portugal to the southern border of Denmark.
Mason Lykes was one of a number of ships acquired by the Maritime Administration in 1985 and assigned to its Ready Reserve Force (RRF). The Mason Lykes was renamed Cape Blanco, placed on a five-day activation status, and homeported in Alameda, California.
Five years later, the Cape Blanco was among the 78 RRF ships activated to support Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. The vessel was ordered to activate on December 9, 1990, and placed under the operational control of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. It continued in service until September 1991.
Cape Blanco was maintained in a reduced operating status (partially crewed) in Alameda, California, after which it was laid-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.
The MARAD's National Register Eligibility Assessment for Cape Blanco, available in the Documents section, also contains a detailed history of the vessel.
Mission
| Mission Name |
|---|
| Operations Desert Shield/Storm/Sortie |
Historical Documents
| Name | Expand | Download |
|---|
Milestones
|
Event:
Ship Name Change
Date: 1/1/0001 Ship MASON LYKES changes name to CAPE BLANCO |
|
Event:
Acquisition
Date: 1/11/1985 |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 8/1/1997 ENRTE: San Francisco Drydock |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 8/1/1997 At San Francisco Drydock |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 8/15/1997 ENRTE: Alameda Point |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 8/15/1997 At Alameda Point |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 9/18/1997 Conducting sea trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 9/19/1997 Completed sea trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 9/12/1998 No-Notice Turbo Activation 98-4 |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 9/13/1998 Completed Turbo Activation |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 10/25/2000 Conducting annual maintenance sea trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 10/26/2000 Completed annual maintenance sea trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 5/28/2001 Conducting TA-01-03 Sea Trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 5/29/2001 Completed TA-01-03 Sea Trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 7/1/2002 Under tow to San Franciscoe Drydock |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 7/1/2002 At San Francisco Drydock |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 7/16/2002 Under tow to Alameda CA |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 7/16/2002 Returned from drydocking |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 7/31/2002 Conducting sea trial and maintenance act |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 8/2/2002 Completed sea trial |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 3/27/2003 Under tow to SBRF |
|
Event:
Interim Movement
Date: 3/27/2003 NDRF downgrade | New homeport is SBRF |
|
Event:
Disposal
Date: 9/27/2012 Vessel cleared historic review. |
|
Event:
Location Movement
Date: 6/16/2016 Vessel departed SBRF, under domestic sale contract with All Star Metals, LLC. |
Ship Imagery
Status Cards
Documents
| Date | Type | Name | Expand | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14/2012 | National Regioster Eligibility Assessment Cape Blanco.pdf |
|
|
