Episode 29:  THE MATSON LINE

I wonder if when the Matson Navigation Company was formed in 1882 by Captain William Matson, he ever dreamt how successful it would become. Today they operate a modern container service from mainland America to Hawaii but will always be best remembered for its famed “Great White ships” era, when they carried tens of thousands of passenger’s back and forth to Hawaii and across the Pacific during the golden age of ocean travel.

Their fleet of luxury liners carried many of the world’s richest and most famous people including many Hollywood Legends: Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Dorothy Lamour, and Alan Ladd. Carol Lombard, Mary Pickford, Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Stewart and Shirley Temple to name but just a few. But during World War Two they also carried nearly a million troops to war both in the Pacific and in Europe.

In this unique programme we also take a rare look at some of the earlier conventional cargo ships they used to operate, both before and after WW2 and see how freight was shipped to Hawaii from all over America, but most of all, we take an in-depth look at their great liners.

Not so many years ago the profile of a great two funnelled Matson liner could always be seen along the San Francisco and Los Angeles waterfronts, waiting majestically for their passengers to board them for another voyage of excitement romance and adventure to some of the most exotic locations in the world. Sadly, those great ships are no more but now, thanks to careful restoration work of rare archive film, we can sail again aboard those great ships. So, sit yourselves down, pour out a nice little drink and let this video take you on a journey with the rich and famous of yesteryear on a voyage to Hawaii and all the way across the Pacific Ocean during the golden age of shipping.

So, if you like ships for whatever reason or just plain nostalgia, then this video is an absolute must to add to your collection