Acquired 15 November 1994 Homeport Houston, Texas | In service 21 November 1994 Launched 19 July 1977 | |
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Name MV Cape Trinity (T-AKR-9711) Owner United States Department of Transportation Operator United States Maritime Administration Builders Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel | ||
MV Cape Trinity (T-AKR-9711) is a Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) ship with the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) of the United States Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). As of 31 December 2014, her homeport is the Port of Houston in Houston, Texas and she is on ROS-5 status; she is able to be fully operational within 5 days of being activated. When activated, she becomes part of the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC).
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Design and Construction
The vessel now known as Cape Trinity was laid down by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel, Germany in 1977. She is a conventional RO/RO (Vehicle Carrier) ship with the superstructure aft, followed by twin funnels, and a stern ramp. She is 634 ft 3 in (193.3 m) in overall length with a lightweight displacement of 9,714 long tons (9,870 t) and a fully loaded displacement of 24,561 long tons (24,955 t). For carrying US Army and Marine Corp combat vehicles, she has 87,032 sq ft (8,085.5 m2) of cargo capacity. She can carry 340 containers plus vehicles and her hull is ice strengthened.
Commercial Service
She began commercial service on 7 December 1977 with DDG Hansa Line as MV Rheinfels. She was sold to Anker Shipping GmbH, an affiliate of DDG Hansa, 13 October 1980. Following the bankruptcy of DDG Hansa, ownership passed to a Hamburg bank in December 1980. She was then sold to Christian F. Ahrenkiel of Hamburg and renamed MV Norefjord. Ownership passed in July 1981 to Heyo Janssen, Leer, Germany, she was renamed MV Radbod and was reflagged Panamanian.
She was auctioned off in September 1987 to a group of German banks, and resold to Argentinean interests. Again, she was resold in November 1987 to Vericaribe CA and renamed MV Santos retaining the Panama flag. In May 1990, she was chartered to Kent Line with the name MV Canadian Forest. She was resold to Conro Shipping Ltd. of Panama in September 1991 and renamed MV Santos. Ownership passed in 1993 to South American Shipping Co., tonnage date rearranged and modified and vessel was retransferred to Conro Shipping Ltd.
US Government Service
Cape Trinity was acquired by the US Government on 15 November 1994 and became part of the Ready Reserve Fleet. In January thru March of 1999, Cape Trinity participated in Operation Battle Griffin, the triennial exercise of reinforcing Norway, carrying US Marines between Morehead City, North Carolina, Cheatham Annex Naval Base, Virginia, and Hommelvik, Norway. On 23 January 2003, Cape Trinity was activated and placed “In Service” from the Ready Reserve Force to haul military cargo to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She proceeded to Corpus Christi, Texas to load military vehicles and equipment. On 15 May 2003, she was placed "Out of Service” and returned to her Ready Reserve Force lay berth in Houston on a four-day recall status.