GOPHER STATE

73 / 17,821gt.She was built as the containership Export Leader for American Export

Line and aquired by U S Military Sealift Command in 1988,She was renamed  and

 converted to an Auxilairy Crane Ship and is home based at Newport News.

I was hoping she was going to land a pilot here but she got to within 7 miles of

Berry Head when the picture was taken and turned around and headed back east.

She was bound from Nordenham to an unknown destination. 

Now she is slow steam sheltering around Lyme Bay.