SS
Malolo visited
Please Note: Photographs on this page are from the author’s collection unless otherwise mentioned.
The Matson liner
SS Malolo was built by W. Cramp & Sons,
When built the
Malolo was the largest and the most technically advanced liner of her time, and
she was considered the most luxurious liner to have been built in the
Here we see the just completed SS
Malolo
This luxury liner
accommodated 457 First Class & 163 Cabin Class passengers in the ultimate
comfort and style. Although not a large ship, she was spacious considering the
passenger ratio. Public rooms in both classes were elegant with walls lined
with fine timbers
combined with subdued colours and luxuriously furnished. Malolo would be one of
the first liners to have an indoor swimming pool, which became a popular and
much spoken of feature of the ship. Accommodations were mostly outside, with
just a few inside cabins. The vast majority had private facilities.
The First Class Main Lounge was a bright and certainly a most spacious room! Besides being beautifully furnished and carpeted, its walls were painted in beige tones with fireplaces and huge bay windows at both sides. The ceilings were given the feel of added height by a central dome as well as what appeared to be domes on both sides of the lounge, but were in fact more like deep frames, which was a very clever idea and it worked well!
The Smoking Room on the other hand was a very different story altogether as it was very much more a traditional style of venue and it had that rather British feel. Beautifully timber clad walls as well as an elegant fireplace with a mantle clock above. Once again it featured a central domed ceiling above with a timber feature and grand pillars dividing the room into sections. However, the furnishings being more casual with sofas and lounge chairs having light coloured floral patterned upholstery, tables with chequered tablecloths, and quaint timber chairs. Along all the walls there were wall light fittings that were delightful, as well as the ceiling lighting. And as is so typical of all Matson ships palms featured in all public venues!
Obviously the Main Restaurant is always one of the finest and highest venues of the First Class, as it tends to be on most Liners, and the Malolo would certainly not disappoint! The Restaurant was spacious, and it looked even more so, due to the heart of the venue was two decks high, with its grand dome featuring a superb light fitting in the middle as well as a large mural on one end and a bandstand at the other. The all marble black and white/grey floor looked rather spectacular, combined with the fine and elegant dark timber chairs. You can just imagine the superbly set tables with the best silver and fine porcelain and crystal glasses ready for a sublime evening meal!
Externally the
Malolo was what we might consider an average looking ship, having the
traditional Matson reddish brown hull, white superstructure, with two masts,
two tall yellow, black topped funnels with the traditional “M”
Matson logos on them. However, what was extraordinary was that her lifeboats
were slung low on her superstructure, something that would be changed 10 years
later when she was greatly modernised. In the meantime making her more suited
for the tropics as soon she would be heading for
The Malolo is undergoing her
“tropification” and will soon be an all
white ship with plain yellow funnels with the blue “M” for Matson!
Here we see the Malolo in her new
all white livery and she is ready for her new role cruising the Pacific to Asia
and
Although the
Malolo continued the West Coast to
Here
we see the Malolo in
The menu shown
below came from the estate of the famed silent screen star Billie Dove,
whom apparently sailed to
From the Paul Melzer’s collection
Specifications - SS Malolo
Built
by: W.
Cramp & Sons,
Yard #: 509
Tonnage: 17,232 GRT / 1937: 17,226 GRT
Length: 582ft -
177.3m
Width: 83ft -
25.4m
Engines: Steam; Geared
Turbines by the builders
Screws: Twin.
Service peed: 21 knots
Passengers: 457
First Class & 163 Cabin Class
1937: 693 First Class only
SS
Matsonia:
With the departure
of an earlier Matson liner, the Matsonia, in 1937 Matson Lines decided to
substantially rebuild the Malolo and rename her Matsonia. The work undertaken
would greatly alter her overall appearance, as her life boats were relocated
two decks higher. The deck where the lifeboats had been was fully enclosed,
providing additional cabins including a number of the famed Matson “Lanai
Suites.” The new boat deck included a much sought after promenade,
popular in the warmer climates. In addition her older accommodations were
vastly improved. Upon completion she looked stunning and had the appearance of
a much larger ship, although she now registered at 17,226 GRT. SS Matsonia
looking much like a new ship continued to sail between
A postcard of the SS Matsonia
released just after her 1937 rebuild
On November 21,
1941, Matsonia was requisitioned by US Navy to be deployed as a troop transport
ship. She received a hurried transformation in order to transport up to 3,000
troops and departed
The
USS Matsonia is seen here ready to depart from
She departed
Passenger Stories:
A Voyage to
Mr. W. F. Beseler wrote me and told me his story:
“I sailed on the
Matsonia on my last trip as a USMMCC Cadet to and from
I was told that the
Hawaiians were snubbed by the name “Malolo” meaning “flying
Fish” and had put a curse on her resulting in the mishap and the loss of some
of her fantail, I don't know if this tale is true!
Later on they had lifted
her lifeboats up on “
We stopped at
Tony Prince was just six years old when he
sailed on the Matsonia from
“I was on this voyage
with my father to join family in
She was returned
to Matson in April 1946 and was given a massive refit returning her to her old
beautiful self in order that she could resume her passenger services. She
departed
Here
is another fine photo of the Matsonia whilst at sea
Marshall Earl
Wilcox and his wife Gladys Olivia boarded the
Matsonia in December 1946 for a cruise, which according to their daughter Dawn
was greatly enjoyed. From the cruise they collected a series of superb menus
that survive to this day and we are pleased to present scans that their
daughter Dawn Sandner has kindly sent me.
Four superb menu covers from Mr & Mrs
Wilcox’s cruise on the Matsonia in 1946
A View of the interior
As you can see from all four covers the colours are
vivid and the art work is simply superb!
A
postcard of the Matsonia seen berthed at
Pier 10 at
Finally the
Matsonia was laid up to be sold in April 1948, and another Matsonia, the ex
Lurline,
SS Atlantic
She is seen here as the Home Lines - SS Atlantic
Here
is a fine view of the Home Lines Atlantic stern
Soon Matsonia was
sold to the Mediterranean Line, being the Panamanian flagged subsidiary of
famed Home Lines and she was given the name
Another black and white photo of
the SS Atlantic
SS Atlantic
Departed Genoa on May 14, 1949, on her maiden voyage to
RHMS
Queen Frederica:
Renamed Vasilissa
Friederiki she was now part of the National Hellenic American Line fleet
In January 1955 SS
Atlantic was transferred to the newly formed National Hellenic
American Line (a Home Lines subsidiary) and renamed SS Vasilissa Friederiki being Greek for Queen Frederica. However, only the English version of the name was ever used on her
bow, with the Greek lettering appearing on her stern. She was refitted and her
glazed lower Promenade Deck was now fully plated in, making room for additional
cabins. She was now able to accommodate 132 First Class, 116 Cabin Class as
well as 931 Tourist Class passengers. She departed
The Queen Frederica is seen after her refit in
A postcard of the RHMS Queen Frederica in her new Chandris livery
Towards the end of
1960 she was given a major refit and partial rebuilt, which saw her after
superstructure extended.
Canadian John Tee sailed
on the Queen Frederica as a deck hand from November 1961 through to March 1962. He told me that
“they sailed the usual
She became much loved in
In November 1965
she was sold to Dimitri Chandris Piraeus (Chandris Lines), but was registered
for Themistocles Nav, S.A. Featuring the traditional
Chandris blue and black topped funnel with a large white X (being the Greek for
CH) Queen Frederica departed Piraeus on December 10, 1961 bound for Australia.
Upon her return to
She made a round
trip from Southampton to
She returned to
Queen
Frederica is seen here berthed in Fremantle (
Upon her return to
A postcard when she was under charter to Sovereign
Cruises
At the conclusion
of the charter it Chandris decided that the old faithful ship, RHMS Queen
Frederica would be laid up on the River Dart on September 22.
Still looking splendid, the old girl - Queen
Frederica is seen here laid up
Finally fifty
years after being delivered to Matson Line the superb ex SS Malolo, SS
Matsonia, SS Atlantic, and RHMS Queen Frederica was sold to Greek breakers in
July 1977 and because she had been shut down years earlier and had been a
“dead ship” she had to be towed to the
This fine ship that had served under various flags, yet she was the perfect example of great American ship building design, engineering, and revealed the optimal quality of American shipbuilding. A class of shipbuilding that concluded in the United States when the great SS United States was completed, but sadly it soon ended, as it has in Great Britain, for now shipbuilding has gone offshore to European builders, Germany, France, Scandinavia and Italy! But, to this day the Great SS United States thankfully survives, as does the Grace Lines SS Santa Rosa!
This was one of the fine liners,
a great cruise ship and she is worthy to be remembered!
The delightful Matson SS
Malolo, Matsonia: Home Lines Atlantic and Chandris Queen Frederica
“She was a delight of a Ship!”
**************************************
or go to our INDEX
Who is the
Author of ssMaritime?
Commenced
in the passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960
Also
visit my …
“Save The Classic
Liners Campaign”