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Independence
 
Independence - Oceanic Independence
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the American Export liner Independence, which later operated with American Hawaii Cruises.
 
In 1947, American Export Lines announced plans for three 30000ton liners for for their New York to Italy service. When the order was placed with Bethlehem Steel, the number had been reduced to two ships, the first of which was the Independence. Independence entered service on February 11th, 1951, sailing from New York to Gibraltar, Naples and Genoa. At the time of delivery, she was the fastest American-built liner, achieving over 26 knots. additional calls were added to the itinerary (Algeciras, Cannes etc) and the voyages were increasingly advertised as 21-day cruises during the 1960s. In 1959, both ships received major refits, including the the move of their bridges further forward and upwards.
 
In 1960, the Isbrandtsen Company acquired a controlling interest in American Export Lines, and in 1962 the name was changed to the unwieldy American Export and Isbrandtsen Lines. Jet aircraft, union problems, plus competition from newer Italia Line ships made the services uneconomic, and Independence was withdrawn from Atlantic service in 1967, followed by sistership Constitution the following year. In 1968, Independence received a garish psychedelic livery, and ran cruises for travel agents called Fugazi to the West Indies and Mediterranean, but these were not a success. I do not have a postcard of Independence in these psychedelic colours. If you can assist, please email:- simplon@simplon.co.uk. (To digress, the name Fugazi puzzled me since there is also a post-punk rock band with this name. The website www.acronymfinder.com says that this is a British military acronym for "Fouled Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In").
 
Independence was laid up until 1974, when she was sold to the C.Y.Tung group and renamed Oceanic Independence. She was briefly used for cruising, but then laid up in Hong Kong as Sea Luck I from 1976. American Hawaii Cruises were formed in 1980 by C.Y.Tung, who wished to enter the American cruise scene. The service started using Sea Luck I, again renamed Oceanic Independence, on 7th June 1980, operating a 7-day cruise out of Honolulu. An American subsidiary had been created, allowing the ship to be US-flagged. The service was a success, and the sistership Constitution joined the service in 1982, following a substantial refurbishment. During the winter of 1983, Oceanic Independence also received internal refurbishment, returning to service under original name Independence. In 1987, the cruise line was bought from the C.Y.Tung group by Peter C.R.Huang for $20million. American Hawaii Cruises filed for bankruptcy in 2001 following poor trading in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Independence was laid up in San Francisco. She was bought by Norwegian Cruise Line in 2003, with the suggestion that she might be restored as a US-flag cruise ship, but she remained untouched at San Francisco at the end of 2006.
 
 
Sections on this Page:-
Independence - American Export Lines - Postcards
Independence - American Export and Isbrandtsen Lines - Postcards
Independence - American Hawaii Cruises - Postcards
Independence - American Hawaii Cruises - Photographs
Oceanic Independence - American Hawaii Cruises - Postcards
 
Associated Pages:-
Constitution - Postcard hsitory of sistership
American Export Lines
American Hawaii Cruises
United States Lines - The Year 2000 company
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Independence
(American Export Lines: 1951-62)
(American Export and Isbrandtsen Lines: 1962-74)
 
Official American Export Lines letter card, issued to cover both sisters, posted from Gibraltar during a 20 day trip from New York to Italy.
 
Official American Export Lines postcards of Independence.
 
 
 
Official American Export and Isbrandtsen Lines postcard of Independence.
 
Official American Export Lines postcard of Independence.
 
 
Photograph of Independence in psychedelic livery in 1968.
Scan: Bill Chefalas.
 
 
 
 
 
Oceanic Independence - Independence
(American Hawaii Cruises: 1980-2001)
 
American Hawaii Cruises were formed in 1980 by C.Y.Tung, who wished to enter the American cruise scene. He already owned the American Export Lines sisters Constitution and Independence. The service started using the latter, renamed Oceanic Independence, on 7th June 1980, operating a 7-day cruise out of Honolulu. An American subsidiary had been created, allowing the ship to be US-flagged. The service was a success, and the sistership Constitution joined the service in 1982, following a substantial refurbishment. During the winter of 1983, Oceanic Independence also received internal refurbishment, returning to service under original name Independence. In 1987, the cruise line was bought from the C.Y.Tung group by Peter C.R.Huang for $20million. American Hawaii Cruises filed for bankruptcy in 2001 following poor trading in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Independence was laid up in San Francisco - see photos.
 
 
Official American Hawaii postcard SC17295 of Oceanic Independence.
 
 
Oversized official American Hawaii postcard of Idependence.
Photo: Douglas Peebles
Click to open larger image in new window
 
Oversized official American Hawaii postcard of Idependence.
 
American Hawaii Cruises postcard showing both Constitution and Independence (left).
 
Memories of Hawaii release A-346 showing both Constitution and Independence (right).
Photo: Loye Guthrie
 
Memories of Hawaii release A-346 showing both Constitution and Independence (right).
Photo: Loye Guthrie
 
Memories of Hawaii release A-294 of Independence.
Photographed by R.A.Young.
 
Simplon Postcards release sp2042 of Independence, issued November 1993.
Photographed Hawaii, by Marvin Jensen.
 
Chantry Classics release CC/S79 of Independence.
Photographed Honolulu, by Ed Lafferty.
 
Memories of Hawaii release A-623 of Independence, following rebuilding and repainting.
Note the reduced numbers of lifeboats.
Photographed by Mark Fay. An enlargement of the ship is shown beneath.
 
An enlargement of the ship from the card above.
 
Phil Mattes release H-1022D of Independence, following rebuilding and repainting.
Photographed by Phil Mattes. An enlargement of the ship is shown beneath.
 
An enlargement of the ship from the card above.
 
 
 
 
 
Independence - Photographs
 
A photograph of Independence arriving at San Francisco in earlier "CYTung" livery.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence whilst cruising in Hawaii in final livery.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence whilst cruising in Hawaii in final livery.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
 
 
An eyewitness account of the damage to the masts:-
Today as I walked down to the ship on campus I saw on the horizon the blur of a great white ship on the San Pablo Bay in tow coming to pass the Academy en route to be put to her final place. An hour past and she still hadn't past the Training Ship yet. I called the captain and of the academy and told others on the ship to watch as the SS Independence pass by the Golden Bear. As she neared the bridge of the Carquinez Strait she had four tugs two on either side, her paint looked rusted but the ship stood tall and pound in the water as she pasted by. I could see the pilot on the bridge wing giving orders as she passed the academy.
 
Just 7 months ago I helped navigate this ship and scraped and painted her hull and decks as she was packed full with passengers Hawaii. As I watch her pass I noticed her high mast . Was it going to clear the bridge? Oh shit. No it wasn't. SNAP, CRASH, BANG. As the top part of her mast snapped and cashed into the upper rigging my heart crushed. The people and everyone on the waterfront heard the sounds of the mast beginning to fall. Somebody didn't do their math on calculating the air draft of the ship when she rode so high in the water. Forty minutes later she passed the academy once more. My guess was that the ship had another bridge to clear which was 15ft lower. Pilot noticing this turned the vessel around and she headed back to San Francisco. I was not sure but some cadets had told me later that when she passed again her entire mast was damaged even more. Sad to see this happen.

Corp. Chief Mate
Garrett Huffman
 
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
Independence laid up in San Francisco after 2001 bankruptcy.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
"Before and After" shots showing damage to mast (see above).
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
A more recent photo of Independence shows that the foremast has been removed completely.
Photo: © Patrick Deutsch, April 17th, 2003 at Mare Island Vallejo, CA.
 
 
Independence in drydock at San Francisco.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen, January 2006.
 
Independence in drydock at San Francisco.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen, January 2006.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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