Training Ship Golden Bear II
(1971-1995)

LOA      491’ 01” (149.66m)          LBP     465’ 00” (141.73m)                 Beam     65’ 5” (21.84m)
                                                         Draft     25’ 6” (7.77m) [loaded]           Displacement 14,210 tons


Engine:             Steam Propulsion - Geared Turbine
Horsepower:    7,800
Propeller:         Single Screw, 4 blade, 19’3” (5.87m) in diameter
Speed:             18.0 knots


Contracted:      Dec 16, 1938 by Maritime Commission, C3-P type “Del” class
Keel laid:          May 8, 1939 at Bethlehem Steel, Sparrows Point, Baltimore (hull #4338)
Launched:        Feb 17, 1940 as S.S. DEL ORLEANS
Delivered:        Aug 23, 1940 to Delta Lines in New Orleans.  

Built as a luxury combination passenger-cargo ship for the “Coffee Run” trips between New Orleans and Buenos Aires.

Requisitioned by the U.S. Government on June 3, 1941, the Navy then took control of the ship on June 9, 1941 and stripped her for duty. She was commissioned as U.S.S. CRESCENT CITY (AP-40) on October 10, 1941.

She served during World War II in most of the major campaigns in the western Pacific theater. Redesignated as APA-21 in early 1943, the gallant ship earned a Navy Unit Commendation and 10 battle stars during World War II. U.S.S. CRESCENT CITY was decommissioned in San Francisco on April 30, 1948 and laid up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

She was transferred to The California Maritime Academy in May 1971, and converted into a schoolship. Commissioned as T.S. GOLDEN BEAR (the second CMA Training Ship to carry that name) in June 1971, she sailed on 28 major ocean cruises.

On July 18, 1995, T.S. GOLDEN BEAR was decommissioned and placed in the reserve fleet.

In 1999, she was acquired by the City of Oakland for use and named “ARTSHIP”, serving as an art colony until 2003. She was then sold for scrap in 2004.

Her final disposition, however, remains a question due to litigation and others are bidding for use of the ship. .