The USNS New Bedford (FS-289/AKL-17) was a versatile vessel with a rich service history spanning over five decades. Originally constructed in 1944 by Wheeler Shipbuilding in Whitestone, New York, as a U.S. Army cargo ship designated FS-289, the vessel served with a U.S. Coast Guard crew in Hawaii during World War II. In July 1950, it was acquired and converted by the U.S. Navy into a Camano-class cargo ship, receiving the name USNS New Bedford. The ship's design facilitated efficient logistical support across the Pacific. Its cargo capacity included 24 Conex containers, 9 tons of refrigerated goods, and nearly 4,000 cubic feet of dry cargo, along with 60,000 gallons of fuel oil and 16,000 gallons of fresh water. Its typical supply runs lasted around 40 hours, during which it transported supplies, personnel—including up to 21 passengers—and equipment to remote sites such as the Texas Towers, off the coast of Massachusetts. The vessel was known for its operational precision in challenging conditions, including complex approach maneuvers around the towers, which required mooring to the tower’s elevated deck 61 feet above water. Notably, on January 14-15, 1961, the New Bedford was involved in the final moments of Texas Tower 4, assisting in its supply and standing by during the tower’s abandonment before it was lost with all hands in a storm. After its service in logistical support, the vessel was reclassified as IX-308 in 1963 and assigned to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center at Keyport, Washington, serving as a torpedo testing and firing vessel. Over nearly 31 years, it conducted extensive torpedo testing, firing over 7,200 units, recovering more than 900, and planting and retrieving thousands of range buoys. The vessel's long career ended with a ceremonial decommissioning on October 28, 1994, attended by military and civic officials. Subsequently, it was struck from the Naval Register in April 1995 and sold for commercial use. Renamed F/V Sea Bird, it transitioned into the fishing industry, initially operating as a tuna longliner out of San Diego and later as F/V Seabird in the Alaskan salmon fishery, owned by E&E Foods as of July 2023. The USNS New Bedford remains a notable example of mid-20th-century auxiliary maritime support vessels with a distinguished service record.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.