SS Independence (Oceanic) laid up Pier 70 - SFO - photo's

SS Independence 1951-2001 and SS Constitution 1951-1995

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With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author

SS Independence

Grounded off Alang India in 2009

Previous names: Oceanic Independence, Sea Luck II, Oceanic Independence, Independence, Oceanic, Platinum II,

Page Five

Photo Page

With Patrick Race and Jonathan Haeber

SS Independence seen in happier days, yet towards the end of her career

As always I am very grateful to those that contribute to this site, be it with their stories of their voyages long ago, or with photograph’s taken. On this page you will find some of the sad photo’s taken of the SS Independence, an American registered ship NCL purchased for the express use in the American market IF the US Government would allow them an US flagged cruise line, which did eventuate. However, rather that fulfilling their promise to America, NCL America built new ships, and allowed this magnificent classic liner to slowly rot and rust away over the years. Even NCL’s CEO wrote me that she was wasting away and was in a bad shape and would most likely be sold to be broken up. The point is, who is to blame for that, NCL was meant to repair and refit her and not allow her to fall in decay as she has in certain areas. Internally she does not look all that bad, but it is where it matters where the problem lies.

Sadly, on October 24, 2005, NCL sold the Independence to a subsidiary company, named - “California Manufacturing Corporation”, which just happened to have its offices in the NCL HQ in Miami. On the same day SS Independence was reregistered under a new name - Details:

IMO: 5160180 - Name: Oceanic - Call sign: KPHI - Registered: USA.

Later in 2007 she was reportedly sold to an Indian Investment Company “Global Maritime,” and she is due to depart San Francisco’s Pier 70 on Thursday 7 February, and we assume her destination to be Alang, although, NCL and its subsidiaries will play its tricks and pretend otherwise as they did with the SS Norway, which they sent first to Germany, then to Malaysia, each time pretending she was to be used again as a passenger ship, although breakers has already received invitations before she arrived in Malaysia, including Mr. Rajesh Shah of Kumar Steel Alang, a long standing friend of the author who proudly emailed me saying he was going to cost the ship, etc.

July 2008: SS Oceanic is currently laid up in Dubai and I feel this is only a cooling off period as there has been several warrants out for her and her tug. Her owners has been talking up restoration and/or selling her, however, it all sounds like NCL talk, which simply means like the SS Norway she will end up on the beach at Alang and ends up being cut up! Do not trust NCL nor the people they so carefully selected to hand their ships to. Remember, they first “sold” her to an In-house company and renamed her Oceanic, how convenient! Do they think we are stupid! The tragedy is that the great SS United States is next on the NCL chopping block!

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I hereby wish to thank Patrick Race who took a series of photos the Oceanic in October 2007 and Jonathan Haeber who took some more recently.

1- SS Oceanic, ex Independence

Photographed & © by Patrick Race

The next photo is certainly a dramatic conclusion of Patrick’s shoot for the day!

Thank you Patrick Race for your excellent photos!

2 - SS Oceanic, ex Independence

Photographed & © by Jonathan Haeber

Jonathan’s website: www.terrastories.com/bearings

Mr. Haeber was permitted to board the SS Oceanic and took a series of excellent photographs, and we are grateful to him for allowing us to present some of these to you. These photos were taken on January 27, 2008.

A Ghost like lady awaiting her passengers

An eerie evening feel, yet she remains a graceful lady

The lifeboat covers have totally deteriorated, obviously, NCL did not maintain the ship!

Her long and wide promenade decks deserve many more passengers, for when the company stopped operation

The Independence was in top condition and had an extensive refit. NCL America is now about to destroy American maritime history!

A magnificent Main Lounge left in a mess – A sad sight

How is that for a lonely Island hut?

Thank you Jonathan Haeber for your excellent photographs!

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Index

Page One: History of SS Independence and her sister the SS Constitution

Page Two: Photo Page – From beginning to End

Page Three: Deck Plans - American Export Lines

Page Four: Deck Plan – American Hawaii Cruises

Page Five: Photo Page of Independence/Oceanic at Pier 70 San Francisco

Photographs by Patrick Race & Jonathan Haeber

Page Six: The amazing story of SS Independence’s transformation to become the

Fugasi - “Go-Go Cruises” FunShip. A story by the designer Bill Chefalas.

SS Atlantic: This delightful ship sailed with the SS Independence & Constitution from 1960 to 1967.

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Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that due credit may be given.

This notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!