USS Sands (T-AGOR-6) a Robert D. Conrad-class oceanographic research ship that served the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1973. During that period she provided valuable ocean-bottom information and underwater test data to the U.S. Navy and other U.S. agencies.

Built at Point Pleasant, West Virginia

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Sands (AGOR-6) was laid down on 23 August 1962 by the Marietta Manufacturing Co., Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Point Pleasant is a city in Mason County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. The population was 4,637 at the 2000 census...

; launched on 14 September 1963; sponsored by Miss Priscilla G. Sands; and accepted by the Navy and placed in service under Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) control on 2 February 1965, Capt. George W. Fladerer, Master.

Navy oceanographic service

Manned by a Civil Service

Civil service

The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....

 crew, the United States Naval Ship Sands was operated in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 by the Military Sealift Command

Military Sealift Command

The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...

 (formerly MSTS) for the Naval Oceanographic Office

Naval Oceanographic Office

The Naval Oceanographic Office , located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military and contract personnel responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense.Valued by maritime...

.

Until being placed out of service, in reserve, in April 1973, Sands performed oceanographic and marine geophysical research and conducted experiments in underwater sound propagation.

Inactivation and transfer to Brazil

In 1973, Sands was placed out of service. She was struck from the Navy list on an unknown date, and, on 5 December 1990 she was transferred to Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

and renamed Almirante Camara (H-41).