Gopher State was laid down on 26 July 1971, as the
container ship Export Leader, ON 545126, IMO 7226689, a
Maritime Administration type
C5-S-73b hull under MARAD contract (MA 257). Built by
Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, hull no. 358, she was launched on 8 July 1972, and delivered to MARAD 22 January 1973, entering service for
American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines (renamed American Export Lines in the same year). She was sold to
Farrell Lines in 1978 without name change. The ship was returned to MARAD in 1986 and laid up in the
National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). In 1987 she was converted to a type C5-S-MA73c crane ship by Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock, Norfolk, Virginia. Completed on 12 October 1987, she was placed in service as '''
Gopher State (T-ACS-4)''' and assigned to the
Ready Reserve Force (RRF), under operation control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC).
Gopher State is in ready reserve, laid up at Newport News, Virginia. As of December 2016, she is in Drydock No. 3 in
Boston. ==See also==