SS Jean Ribaut

SS Jean Ribaut was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Jean Ribaut, a French naval officer, navigator, and colonizer.

History
United States
Name	Jean Ribaut
Namesake	Jean Ribaut
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	A.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2300
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$1,003,697
Yard number	41
Way number	2
Laid down	23 March 1944
Launched	5 May 1944
Sponsored by	Miss Betty Jean Riley
Completed	29 May 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KJVC
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia, 17 November 1947 Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 22 April 1952 Sold for scrapping, 13 March 1970
General characteristics
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by Iron Fireman Manufacturing Co., Portland, Oregon) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

Jean Ribaut was laid down on 23 March 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2300, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was sponsored by Miss Betty Jean Riley, an honor student at Bay County High School, and launched on 5 May 1944.

History

She was allocated to A.H. Bull & Co., Inc., on 29 May 1944. On 17 November 1947, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the James River Group. On 22 April 1952, she was relocated to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Hudson River Group. On 18 August 1953, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1953". She returned loaded with grain to the fleet on 28 August 1953. On 10 May 1956, she was withdrawn from the fleet to have the grain unloaded. She returned to the fleet with a new load of grain on 1 June 1956. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 3 July 1957, to unload and returned empty on 8 July 1957. On 6 June 1958, she was withdrawn to be loaded with grain and returned on 20 June 1958. On 25 January 1960, she was removed for the last time to be unloaded, she returned empty on 3 February 1960. On 13 March 1970, she was sold for $41,212 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, for scrapping. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 21 April 1970.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Jean Ribaut". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• "SS Jean Ribaut". Retrieved 12 December 2017.