The Second Training Ship Golden Bear (1971 - 1995)

T. S. GOLDEN BEAR II

LOA 491’ 0” (149.66m)
LWL 468’ 1” (142.68m)
LBP 465’ 0” (141.73m)
Beam 65’ 5” (21.84m)
Depth 39’ 9” (12.12m)
Draft 25’ 6” [loaded] (7.77m)
Displacement 14,210 tons
Tonnage 8300 (gross) 5100 (net)

Geared Turbine Steam 7800 HP = 18.0 knots
Single Screw, 4 blade, 19’ 3” (5.87m) diam.
Maritime Commission designation C3-P type “Del” class

Contracted on 16 Dec 1938 by Maritime Commission (hull #49), this ship’s keel was laid on 08 May 1939 at Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, Baltimore (hull #4338). She was launched on 17 Feb 1940 as SS DEL ORLEANS, and delivered on 23 Aug 1940 to Delta Lines.

Built as a luxury combination passenger-cargo ship for trips from New Orleans to Buenos Aires Argentina on the “Coffee Run,” the DEL ORLEANS was requisitioned by the U.S. Government on 03 Jun 1941. The Navy took control on 09 Jun 1941 and stripped her for duty. She was then commissioned as U.S.S. CRESCENT CITY (AP-40) on 10 Oct 1941.


She served during World War II in most of the major campaigns in the western Pacific theater, and redesignated as APA-21 in early 1943. She earned a Navy Unit Commendation and 10 battle stars during WWII before being decommissioned in San Francisco on 30 April 1948 and laid up.

She was then transferred to California Maritime Academy in May 1971, and converted into a school ship. Commissioned as T.S. GOLDEN BEAR II in June 1971, she sailed on 28 major ocean cruises.

On 18 July 1995, GOLDEN BEAR II was decommissioned, and placed in the reserve fleet. In 1999, she was acquired by the City of Oakland for use as an art colony and named “ART SHIP”. She was sold for scrap in 2004.