MV Cape Lambert (T-AKR-5077), (former MV Avon Forest), was a Cape L-class roll-on/roll-off built in 1973.[1]

MV Cape Lambert
History
United States
NameCape Lambert
NamesakeCape Lambert
Owner
OperatorMilitary Sealift Command
BuilderPort Weller Dry Docks
Laid down1972
Launched19 April 1973
CompletedJune 1973
Acquired31 August 1973
Renamed
  • Avon Forest (1973–1985)
  • Federal Lake (1985–1987)
Stricken2006
Identification
FateScrapped, 2013
General characteristics
Class and typeCape L-class roll-on/roll-off
Displacement
  • 10,557 t (10,390 long tons), light
  • 30,375 t (29,895 long tons), full
Length682 ft 0 in (207.87 m)
Beam75 ft (23 m)
Draft30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)
Depth58 ft 0 in (17.68 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 × Pielstick PC2V diesel engine
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range6,000 nanometres (0.00024 in) at 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph)
Capacity
Complement
  • 10 reserve
  • 27 operational

Construction and commissioning edit

The ship was built in 1973 by Port Weller Dry Docks, St. Catharines, Ontario. She was delivered to be used by Burnett Steamship Company as MV Avon Forest on 31 August of the same year.[2]

On 10 April 1985, she was sold to Piute Energy & Transportation Co., Cleveland as MV Federal Lake until 2 November 1987, as she would be again be sold to the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration to be used in the Ready Reserve Force, James River Group, Virginia as MV Cape Lambert (T-AKR-5077) together with sister ship MV Cape Lobos (T-AKR-5078).[3] She would be operated by the Military Sealift Command when activated.[2]

On 10 August 1990, together with her sister ship were activated to transport military equipments from Bayonne to Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.[4] She would once again be deactivated in 1992.[4] A contract of $3.4 million for the G&M Welding & Fabrication Service, Galveston from the US Navy was made on 11 August 1992, for the repair of Cape Lambert and Cape Lobos.[5] In 1994, Cape Lambert and Cape Lobos were put into the Wilmington Reserve Fleet, North Carolina.[4] In September 1999, she was transferred to ROS-10 status (activation within 10 days).[4]

She would be returned to the James River Reserve Fleet and maintained by the Crowley Liner Services on 14 March 2000. Between 30 September and 9 October 2001, she would be immediately re-activated for a readiness test trial. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Cape Lambert as re-activated from March until May 2003. From late November until December 2003, she had undergone drydocking at the Tampa Shipbuilding and Repair Company and returned to Wilmington Reserve Fleet once repairs were done.[6]

From 22 until 25 September 2004, she would again undergo a readiness reaction test trial but in July 2006, Cape Lambert would be transferred to the Ready Reserve Fleet status and Beaumont Reserve Fleet in August 2006. Her fate would be decided in February 2009, when she was lowered to the emergency sealift status and on 30 September 2013, she began to be stripped of parts to began her disposal while in her non-retention status.[7]

In 2006, Cape Lambert was stuck from the Naval Register and later towed to Brownsville for scrap.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "CAPE LAMBERT (AKR 5077)". Naval Vessel Register. 5 November 1987. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Vehicle Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  3. ^ "CAPE LAMBERT". vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d NATIONAL REGISTER ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT VESSEL: M/V CAPE LAMBERT (PDF). 26 September 2014. p. 4.
  5. ^ "MARITIME BRIEFS | JOC.com". www.joc.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ^ Skipper, Rommyn (22 November 2003). 'Cape Lambert' leaves town for painting, minor repairs. MARAD Vessel History Database. pp. 8B.
  7. ^ "Cape Lobos pulls out of port". MARAD. 30 September 2013. pp. 2, 12, 17.
  8. ^ "Shipbreaking" (PDF). ROBIN DES BOIS. 28 April 2015. p. 8. Retrieved 17 February 2022.

External links edit