The First Training Ship Golden Bear (1946 - 1971)

T. S. GOLDEN BEAR

LOA 424’ 2” (129.85m)
LWL 399’ 01” (121.6m)
Beam 58’ 0” (17.68m)
Depth 28’ 6” (8.69m)
Draft 15’ 6” [loaded] (4.72m)
Displacement 6740 tons
Tonnage 6200 (gross) 2742 (net)

Turbo-Electric Steam Two oil-fired Wickes boilers
6000 HP = 17.0 knots
Twin Screw, each 11’06” (3.51m) diam.
Maritime Commission designation S4-SE2-BE1 type

Built for the Navy as the twelfth of the Attack Cargo Ship “ARTEMIS” class, the ship’s keel was laid on 25 September 1944 at Walsh-Kaiser Shipyard, Providence R.I. (hull #1893). It was launched on 11 December 1944 and commissioned on 20 January 1945 as USS MELLENA (AKA-32).

The MELLENA served during World War II in the Western Pacific theater and was decommissioned on 11 June 1946 at Mare Island. The ship was then immediately transferred to the California Maritime Academy, where it was commissioned as T.S. GOLDEN BEAR on 07 September 1946. During her time at Cal Maritime she sailed on 24 major ocean cruises. On 14 May 1971, GOLDEN BEAR was decommissioned, then scrapped.