US Navy Hydrographic Survey Ships AGS

Survey Ships (AGS)

The Navy's survey ships were mostly conversions until the 1960s: the current fleet consists of the seven ships of the Pathfinder class. Comments or queries, please email info@navalmarinearchive.com.

Most recent update: 5 August 2020.

Type	#	Name	Shipbuilder	Location	Hull #	LDT	LOA	Price ($mm)	Delivery	Disposition
AGS	1	Pathfinder	Lake Washington	Seattle WA		2,175	229		31-Aug-42	Built 1929, acquired by C&GS 1942 as AGS 1, retired 1971
AGS	2	Hydrographer	Spear EW	Norfolk VA		1,135	165		20-May-42	Built 1929 as yacht, acquired by C&GS 1942 as AGS 2
AGS	3	Oceanographer	W. A. Fletcher	Hoboken NJ		1,136	304		15-Aug-42	Built 1899 as yacht Corsair III, acquired by C&GS 1930, AGS 3 1942, scrapped 1944
AGS	4	Bowditch	Burmeister & Wain	Copenhagen (Den.)		5,405	386		11-Dec-43	Built 1929 as liner Santa Inez, acquired 1940 as AG 30, AGS 4 1943, to NDRF 1948, scrapped 1959
AGS	5	Sumner	Seattle Constn	Seattle WA		3,142	350		1-Dec-43	Built 1920 as AS 2, AG 32 1940, AGS 5 1943, scrapped 1948
AGS	6	Derickson	Ballard Marine	Seattle WA		245	136		27-May-44	Built 1943 as PCS 1458, AGS 6 1943, sold 1954
AGS	7	Littlehales	Robert Jacob	City Island NY		245	136		28-Feb-45	Built 1943 as PCS 1388, AGS 7 1943, AGSC 7 1946, sold 1950 as John-O
AGS	8	Dutton	South Coast SB	Newport Beach CA		245	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as PCS 1396, AGS 8 1943, AGSC 8 1946, sold 1950
AGS	9	Amistead Rust	Colberg BW	Stockton CA		245	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as PCS 1404, AGS 9 1943, sold 1948
AGS	10	John Blish	Ballard Marine	Seattle WA		245	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as PCS 1457, AGS 10 1943, AGSC 10 1946, scrapped 1950
AGS	11	Chauvenet	Hiltebrant Dock	Kingston NY		340	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as YMS 195, AGS 11 1945, sold 1947 as Zipper, foundered 1963
AGS	12	Harkness	Tacoma Boat	Tacoma WA		340	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as YMS 242, AGS 12 1943, AGSC 12 1946, AMCU 12 1951, MHC 12 1955, sold 1960
AGS	13	James M. Gillis	South Coast SB	Newport Beach CA		340	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as YMS 262, AGS 13 1943, AGSC 13 1946, AMCU 13 1951, MHC 13 1955, scrapped 1960
AGS	14	Simon Newcomb	South Coast SB	Newport Beach CA		340	136		20-Mar-45	Built 1943 as YMS 263, AGS 14 1943, AGSC 14 1946, scrapped 1960
AGS	15	Tanner	Walsh-Kaiser	Providence RI		4,087	426		15-May-46	Built 1945 as AKA 34, AGS 15 1946, scrapped 1970
AGS	16	Maury	Walsh-Kaiser	Providence RI		4,087	426		12-Jul-46	Built 1945 as AKA 36, AGS 16 1946, scrapped 1973
AGS	17	Pursuit	Winslow Marine	Winslow WA		890	221		18-Aug-51	Built 1943 as AM 108, AGS 17 1951, struck 1960
AGS	18	Requisite	Winslow Marine	Winslow WA		890	221		18-Aug-51	Built 1943 as AM 109, AGS 18 1951, struck 1964
AGS	19	Sheldrake	General Eng	Alameda CA		890	221		14-Apr-52	Built 1943 as AM 162, AGS 19 1951, scrapped 1971
AGS	20	Prevail	Pennsylvania SY	Beaumont TX		890	221		1-Apr-52	Built 1943 as AM 107, AGS 20 1951, scrapped 1964
AGS	21	Bowditch	Oregon SB	Portland OR		4,420	455		8-Aug-57	Built 1943 as South Bend Victory, AGS 21 1958, scrapped 1988
AGS	22	Dutton	Oregon SB	Portland OR		4,420	455		1-Nov-58	Built 1943 as Tuskegee Victory, AGS 22 1958, scrapped 2008
AGS	23	Michelson	Oregon SB	Portland OR		4,420	455		15-Dec-58	Built 1943 as Joliet Victory, AGS 23 1958, scrapped 1977
AGS	24	Serrano	United Eng	Alameda CA		1,240	205		30-Jun-60	Built 1944 as ATF 112, AGS 24 1960, scrapped 1971
AGS	25	Kellar	Marietta Mfg	Point Pleasant WV		1,320	209		31-Jan-69	To Portugal 1988 as Almeida Carvalho, active
AGS	26	Silas Bent	AmShip Lorain	Lorain OH	421	1,320	209		23-Jul-65	To Turkey 1999 as Cesme (A 587), active
AGS	27	Elisha Kent Kane	Christy Corp.	Sturgeon Bay WI	422	1,320	209		19-May-67	To Turkey 2001 as Canadarli (A 588), active
AGS	28	Towhee	AmShip Cleveland	Cleveland OH		890	221		1-Apr-64	Built 1945 as AM 388, AGS 28 1964, scrapped 1970
AGS	29	Chauvenet	Fairfield S & E	Glasgow (U.K.)	835	5,150	393	8.4	13-Nov-70	To Texas MA 1996 as Texas Clipper II, to Missile Defense Agency 2005 as Pacific Collector
AGS	30	San Pablo	Associated Sbldg.	Seattle WA		2,750	311		25-Aug-49	Built 1943 as AVP 30, AGS 30 1949, sold 1970
AGS	31	S.P. Lee	Defoe Sbldg.	Bay City MI	441	1,320	209	8.9	2-Dec-68	To Mexico 1992 as Antares (H-06), active
AGS	32	Harkness	Fairfield S & E	Glasgow (U.K.)	836	5,150	393	8.4	29-Jan-71	To NDRF 1993, to Mass Maritime 2002, to NDRF 2005
AGS	33	Wilkes	Defoe Sbldg.	Bay City MI	444	1,935	287	8.9	28-Jun-71	To Tunisia 1995 as Kheireddine (A 700), active
AGS	34	Wyman	Defoe Sbldg.	Bay City MI	445	1,935	287	8.9	3-Nov-71	To NDRF 2001: to be scrapped
AGS	35	SGT George Keathley	Walter Butler SB	Superior WI	336	3,366	339		Dec-56	Built 1945 as Acorn Knot, APC 116 1950, AGS 35 1956, to Taiwan 1972 as Chu Hwa (AGS 564)
AGS	36	Coastal Crusader	Leathem D. Smith	Sturgeon Bay WI	340	3,366	339		1969	Built 1945 as Coastal Crusader, AGM 16 1964, AGS 36 1969, sold 1977
AGS	37	Twin Falls	Oregon Sbldg.	Portland OR	1221	4,500	339		1970	Built 1945 as Twin Falls Victory, AGM 11 19??, AGS 37 1970, scrapped 1982
AGS	38	H. H. Hess	NASSCO	San Diego CA	336	14,700	563		16-Jan-78	Built 1965 as Canada Mail, AGS 38 1978, NDRF 1993, scrapped 2010
AGS	39	Maury	Bethlehem SP	Sp. Point MD	4667	8,800	450	66.4	31-Mar-89	To Cal. Maritime 1995 as Golden Bear
AGS	40	Tanner	Bethlehem SP	Sp. Point MD	4668	8,800	450	66.4	31-Aug-90	To Maine Maritime 1997 as State of Maine
AGS	41-44									Not used
AGS	45	Waters	Avondale	New Orleans LA	2370	12,200	457	104.4	26-May-93	Active as Navigation Support Test Ship
AGS	46-49									Not used
AGS	50	Rehoboth	Lake Washington	Seattle WA		2,750	310		2-Sep-48	Built 1944 as AVP 50, AGS 50 1948, scrapped 1970
AGS	51	John McDonnell	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1168	1,250	208	14.0	15-Nov-91	Sold 2016 as Seafreeze America.
AGS	52	Littlehales	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1169	1,250	208	11.5	10-Jan-92	To NOAA 2003 as Thomas Jefferson (S 222)
AGS	53-59									Not used
AGS	60	Pathfinder	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1261	3,000	329	49.9	28-Oct-94	Active
AGS	61	Sumner	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1262	3,000	329	45.9	30-May-95	Active
AGS	62	Bowditch	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1315	3,000	329	40.0	19-Jul-96	Active
AGS	63	Henson	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1468	3,000	329	46.9	20-Feb-98	Active
AGS	64	Bruce C. Heezen	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1707	3,000	329	51.7	13-Jan-00	Active
AGS	65	Mary Sears	Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1804	3,000	329	53.5	17-Dec-01	Active
AGS	66	Maury	VT Halter Marine	Moss Point MS	1991	3,000+	329	86.7	16-Feb-16	Active
AGS	67		VT Halter Marine	Moss Point MS		3,000+	329			Building

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