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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

SS Cape Breton (AK-5056)

Cape B Class Breakbulk Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 January 1964, as SS Dolly Turman, a Maritime Administration type (C4-S-66a) hull under Maritime Administration contract (MA 181) at Avondale Industries, New Orleans, LA. (Official Number 508378)
  • Launched, 4 June 1966
  • Delivered to the Maritime Administration, 15 May 1967, for operation by Lykes Bros SS Co.
  • SS Dolly Turman 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.
  • Reacquired by the Maritime Administration in 1985
  • Entered the Maritime Administrations National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., 1 May 1985 renamed SS Cape Breton (AK-5056) in September 1985
  • Outported to Triple A Machine Ship, Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., (MARAD contract DTMA-91-95-C-50575), 13 May 1989, agent American President Lines
  • When activated Cape Breton) was assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as one of the Military Sealift Command's Modular Cargo Delivery System Ready Reserve Force (RRF) Ships
  • Cape Breton could be activated in 5 days
  • SS Cape Breton was activated for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm from 24 August 1990 to September 1991
  • SS Cape Breton was maintained in a reduced operating status (partially crewed) in Alameda, CA., after which it was laid-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.
  • Downgraded from RRF and laid up in the Maritime Administrations (MARAD) National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 19 December 2002 California, after which it was laid-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 2017, departed San Francisco Bay, 7 August 2017, under tow to All Star Metals, Brownsville TX by tug MV Rachel and arrived at Brownsville, 3 September 2017
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,178 t.(lt), 21,840 t.(fl)
    Length 540'
    Beam 76'
    Draft 33' (max.)
    Speed 18 kts.
    Full Operating Status Complement (unknown) Civilian Mariners
    Propulsion High speed twin casing cross compound double reduction gear turbine, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Merchant Service Lykes Bros SS Corp.
    Cape Breton 227k SS Dolly Turman moored pierside in a US port, date and location unknown. Photo originally ©A. Duncan. Gerhard Muller-Debus
    US Maritime Administration
    Cape Breton 75k SS Cape Breton (AK-5056) at Singapore, 16 December 1990.
    Photo © Roy Kittle.    		 Gerhard Muller-Debus
    Cape Breton 54k SS Cape Breton (AK-5056) underway, date and location unknown. US Maritime Administration
    Cape Borda
    0913505804    		 107k SS Cape Borda (AK-5058), SS Cape Breton (AK-5056 and SS Green Mountain State (ACS-9) and others laid up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benecia, CA., 24 July 2011.
    Photo courtesy of Earthpig. licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license    		 Robert Hurst
    There is no DANFS history available for SS Cape Breton (AK-5056) at NavSource
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    National Register Eligibility Assessment
    "The Last Two" - Cape Breton tow 29 July 2017
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 21 November 2025