SS Cape Mohican (T-AKR 5065)

Sea Barge Heavy Lift Ship

Mission: Sea barge heavy lift ships are designed to carry a variety of larger cargo -- sea barges, lighterage, small boats and containers. A sea barge ship, or Sea Bee ship (not to be confused with construction battalion SEABEEs), loads and off-loads large cargo using a giant elevator on the aft end of the ship that lowers to water level.

Background: Cape Mohican is one of four sea barge ships in the Ready Reserve Force. The RRF is a component of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, maintained to meet military contingency requirements for which the U.S. merchant fleet is not equipped. The NDRF consists of almost 300 merchant-type ships held in reduced-operating status for national emergency by the Maritime Administration, an agency of the Department of Transportation. Except for RRF ships, NDRF ships are stored in deep lay-up and are rarely activated.

The Ready Reserve Force consists of 68 ships at the present time, kept in reduced operating status and ready to activate in four, five, ten or 20 days. RRF ships come under the operational control of Military Sealift Command when activated.

Three RRF ships are currently activated with MSC's Prepositioning Program. Of the other 65 ships, all except 11 are out-ported at commercial or government piers, where they can be quickly activated in time of emergency. Cape Mohican is layberthed in Alameda, Calif., ready to activate on five days' notice. The other 11 ships are RRF-10 or -20 day ships and are located at one of the three NDRF fleet sites -- James River, Va., Reserve Fleet; Beaumont, Texas, Reserve Fleet; Suisun Bay, Calif., Reserve Fleet.

Point of contact:
   Public Affairs Office
   Military Sealift Command
   914 Charles Morris Court SE
   Washington Navy Yard, D.C. 20398-5540
   (202) 685-5055 or www.msc.navy.mil

General Characteristcs: SS Cape Mohican

Length: 873 feet
Beam: 105 feet
Draft: 39 feet
Displacement: 57,290 long tons
Engine: 10,747 max horsepower steam turbine
Speed: 16.2 knots
ROS Status: 5-day
Layberth: Alameda, Calif.

Fact Sheet Index...