Historical Narrative

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The break-bulk cargo ship Cape Borda was originally built as the SS Howell Lykes at the Avondale Shipyards in Avondale, Louisiana in 1967.  The ship was delivered to its owner, Lykes Brothers Steamship Company later that year.  The Howell Lykes was a traditional break-bulk cargo vessel that transported cotton and other palletized and bulk cargoes from the Gulf of Mexico to the West Indies, Great Britain, and from the northern border of Portugal to the southern border of Denmark.  

Howell Lykes was one of a number of ships acquired by the Maritime Administration in 1985 and assigned to its Ready Reserve Force.  The Howell Lykes was renamed Cape Borda, placed on a five-day activation status, and homeported in Alameda, California. 

Five years later, Cape Borda was among the 78 RRF ships activated to support Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM.  The vessel was ordered to activate on December 9, 1990, and placed under the operational control of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command.  It continued in service until September 1991. 

Cape Borda was maintained in a reduced operating status (partially crewed) in Alameda, California, after which it was laid-up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.

The MARAD's National Register Eligibility Assessment for Cape Borda, available in the Documents section, also contains a detailed history of the vessel.

Vessel Name History

1967 - 1985: Howell Lykes
1985 - present: Cape Borda

Vessel Name History

CAPE BORDA (AK-5058)

HOWELL LYKES