MV Cape Taylor (T-AKR-113)

MV Cape Taylor (T-AKR-113) is a roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ship with the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) of the United States Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD).[4] As of 31 December 2014, her homeport is the Port of Houston in Houston, Texas, and she is on ROS-5 status; she is able to be fully operational within 5 days of being activated.[1] When activated, she becomes part of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).[6]

Cape Taylor at sea
History
Name: MV Cape Taylor (T-AKR-113)
Owner: United States Department of Transportation
Operator: United States Maritime Administration
Builder: Sasebo Heavy Industries, Sasebo, Japan
Launched: 8 July 1977
Acquired: 15 March 1993
In service: 27 July 1994
Homeport: Houston, Texas
Identification:
Status: RRF; ROS-5 status
Notes: When activated, Cape Taylor comes under the operational control of the Military Sealift Command.[1]
General characteristics [2] [3] [4] [5]
Class and type: Cape T-class Roll-on/roll-off (Vehicle Carrier) ship
Displacement: 26,456 long tons (26,881 t)
Length: 634 ft 3 in (193.3 m)[lower-alpha 1]
Beam: 88 ft 7 in (27.0 m)
Height: 163 ft 5 in (49.8 m)
Draft: 28 ft 4 in (8.6 m)
Installed power: 18,980 bhp (14.15 MW)
Propulsion: 2 × MAN 9L 52/55A heavy oil Diesel Engines with one Propeller
Speed: 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Range: 22,600 nautical miles (41,900 km) @ 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Crew: 10 civilians in reserve status;[6] 26 civilians when activated[lower-alpha 2]

Design and construction
Stern view ramp loading military vehicles

The vessel now known as Cape Taylor was laid down by Sasebo Heavy Industries in Sasebo, Japan in 1977.[2] She is a conventional RO/RO (Vehicle Carrier) ship with the superstructure aft, followed by twin funnels, and a stern ramp.[2] She is 634 ft 3 in (193.3 m) in overall length with a lightweight displacement of 12,141 long tons (12,336 t) and a fully loaded displacement of 26,456 long tons (26,881 t). For carrying US Army and Marine Corps combat vehicles, she has 88,136 sq ft (8,188.1 m2) of cargo capacity.[5] She can carry 340 containers plus vehicles and her hull is ice strengthened.[2]

Service history

Commercial service

She was launched on 8 July 1977 and began service with DDG Hansa Line as MV Rabenfels.[3] In 1981, the vessel was sold to Lykes Lines who operated her as MV Cygnus.[4] There are also records of her being named MV ASL Cygnus (1992) and MV Thakwini (1993)[3] or MV ASL Cygnus Thakwini.[1]

US Government service

Cape Taylor was purchased by the US Government in 1992 and acquired on 15 March 1993.[4] On 19 August 1994, she was transferred to MARAD and became part of the Ready Reserve Fleet.[3]

On 23 January 2003, Cape Taylor was activated and placed "In Service" from the Ready Reserve Force to haul military cargo to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 6 June 2003, she was placed "Out of Service" and returned to her Ready Reserve Force lay berth in Houston on a four-day recall status.[4]

Footnotes

Notes

  1. Sources conflict on overall length. Polmar (2005, p. 318) and Silverstone (2011, p. 244) both list an overall length of 627 ft 10 in (191.4 m). Conversely, Navsource.org and MARAD list a length of 634 ft 3 in (193.3 m).
  2. Sources conflict on crew size. Polmar (2005, p. 318) and Silverstone (2011, p. 244) both list a crew of 49 civilians. Conversely, Navsource.org lists a crew of 27 civilians. The RRF Fleet Pamphlet lists a crew of 26 with a supercargo of 22 for a total crew of 48.

Citations

  1. Navsource.org.
  2. Polmar 2005, p. 318.
  3. Silverstone 2011, p. 244.
  4. MARAD.
  5. RRF Fleet Pamphlet.
  6. Naval Vessel Register.

References

Printed References

  • Polmar, Norman (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 318. ISBN 1591146852.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Silverstone, Paul (2011). The Navy of the Nuclear Age, 1947–2007. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 244. ISBN 1135864667.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Online

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

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