USNS Gopher State arrives in Durban

Jul 25, 2003
Author: P&S

The US Navy Sealift steamship Gopher State (ACS 4) is due to arrive at the port of Durban today (25 July 2003) at 14.00 to load bunkers and supplies at Island View. The ship is expected to remain in port for about 48 hours.

Gopher State was built in 1969 at Bath Iron Works, Maine and underwent conversions at Norshipco in Norfolk, USA in 1987. The vessel is classified as a crane ship (C5-S-73b type) of which Gopher State was the first in the class – other vessels being USNS Flickertail State (ACS 5) and USNS Cornhusker State (ACS 6).

Each ship displaces 25,000 tons fully loaded and have a length of 185m, a beam of 27.7m and are powered by steam turbines drawing from two boilers and producing 17,500 shp. A single shaft drives the ships at 20 knots. The ships have split superstructure with two crane sets amidships.