SS Malolo

SS Malolo (later known as Matsonia, Atlantic, and Queen Frederica) was an American ocean liner and cruise ship built by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia in 1926 for the Matson Line. She was the first of a number of ships designed by William Francis Gibbs for the line, which did much to develop tourism in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1927 Matson commissioned its largest ship yet, the Malolo (flying fish) for the first-class luxury service between San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. 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
The Malolo introduced improved safety standards which influenced all subsequent American passenger liners. On 25 May 1927 while on her sea trials in the western Atlantic, she collided with the SS Jacob Christensen, a Norwegian freighter, with an impact equal to that when RMS Titanic 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.

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.

Atlantic and Queen Frederica
After serving as a troop ship during World War II she was sold to Home Lines, which renamed her Atlantic and later Queen Frederica (after Queen Frederica of Greece) before being sold to Chandris Lines. After fifty years of service for several different companies, she was sold to Greek breakers in July 1977 and was towed to the breakers 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 ravaged hull could still be seen among other ships at the breakers' yard.