SS ''Malolo'' (later known as ''Matsonia'', ''Atlantic'', and ''Queen Frederica'') was a

passenger liner A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

, later

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours know ...

, built by

William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company) of Philadelphia was founded in 1830 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder of the late 19th century. Company hi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, in 1926 for the Matson Line. She was the first of a number of ships designed by

William Francis Gibbs William Francis Gibbs (August 24, 1886 – September 6, 1967) was an American naval architect of the mid twentieth century. Though he began his career as an attorney, after World War I, he became recognized as a skilled project manager in th ...

for the line, which did much to develop tourism in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

. In 1927, Matson commissioned its largest ship yet, the ''Malolo'' (flying fish) for the first-class luxury service between

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, and

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

. The ''Malolo'' and other Matson liners advertised superb public rooms, spacious cabins, swimming pools, a gymnasium, and a staff, including a hairdresser, to provide a high standard of service.

''Malolo''

''Malolo'' introduced improved safety standards, which influenced all subsequent American passenger liners. On 25 May 1927 while on her

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s in the western Atlantic, she collided with SS ''Jacob Christensen'', a Norwegian freighter, with an impact equal to that when struck an iceberg and sank 15 years earlier. ''Malolo''s advanced watertight compartments allowed her to stay afloat and sail into New York Harbor flooded with over 7,000 tons of sea water in her hull. On 27 October 1927, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral William S. Benson praised the design of the vessel, stating that she was thoroughly protected against submarines and torpedoes by the new arrangement of subdivision in her hull. :”Money spent on vessels of this class would not be idle during peace, and the ships would be valuable in time of war,” said the admiral, who was chief of naval operations during the Great War. Admiral Benson stated that he had been informed by marine engineering experts that the ramming incident suffered during her sea trials would have sunk almost any other merchant vessel. The officer accompanied ''Malolo'' from New York City as far as San Francisco on her maiden voyage to Honolulu. The 240 passengers aboard for her departure from the East Coast included Governor W. R. Farrington of Hawaii, and officials of the Matson Line including William P. Roth, president.

''Matsonia''

In 1937, Matson docked ''Malolo'' for a major refit. The lifeboats were moved two decks higher and the deck they vacated was enclosed to create additional berths, including new "Lanai Suites". Existing cabins were greatly upgraded; the ship changed from a combination of 457 first-class and 163 cabin-class accommodations to 693 first-class-only. The transformed ship was rechristened ''Matsonia''.

Wartime service

From early 1942 through April 1946, ''Matsonia'' was operated as a troop ship by the Matson Company as agent for the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

. With her duties as a troop ship completed in April 1946, she returned to commercial duties between San Francisco and Honolulu. She made her final trip for the Matson Line in April 1948. When she arrived in Los Angeles Harbor from Hawaii, 238 passengers disembarked, with 126 arriving at her final port of call in San Francisco on April 20. “Capt. William R. Meyer, Matsonia master, signed the last entry in her log - "finished with engines" - and turned the record over to Hugh Gallagher, operations vice president of the line.”Associated Press, “Luxury Liner Matsonia Makes Final Voyage,” ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'', San Bernardino, California, Wednesday 21 April 1948, Volume LIV, Number 201, page 1.

''Atlantic'' and ''Queen Frederica''

StateLibQld 1 145167 Queen Frederica (ship)

After retirement by the Matson Line, she was sold to Home Lines, which renamed her ''Atlantic'' and later ''Queen Frederica'' (after

Queen Frederica of Greece Frederica of Hanover (''Friederike Luise''; ; 18 April 1917 – 6 February 1981) was Queen consort of Greece from 1947 until 1964 as the wife of King Paul, thereafter Queen mother during the reign of her son, King Constantine II. Early life ...

) before being sold to Chandris Lines. After 50 years of service for several different companies, she was sold to Greek breakers in July 1977 and was towed to the breaker's yards at Eleusina, Greece. In February 1978 while her interiors were being demolished, she was gutted by fire and work was temporarily halted. Three years later, her remaining hull sections could still be seen among other ships at the breaker's yard.

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