One of the saddest shipping events of the decade occurred when the 1940-built SS AMERICAN STAR grounded after breaking from her tow lines in a force 11 storm off the Canary Islands in January of 1994. Before she could be salvaged, the 723 by 93 foot, 26,353 gross ton vessel broke in two and was declared a total loss.

Launched by Eleanor Roosevelt, the ship which replaced the LEVIATHAN as the queen of the American Merchant Marine entered cruise service for United States Lines as the SS AMERICA, but was soon requisitioned for trooping duty as the USS WEST POINT. She was powered by Parsons geared turbines capable of 37,400 SHP that drove twin screws at a service speed of 22 knots. The AMERICA originally was designed to carry 543 cabin, 418 tourist, and 241 3rd class passengers. As the USS WEST POINT, she served heroically, carrying hundreds of thousands of troops in convoy with the other great liners of her era between 1942 and the end of the war. Immediately following the war, she was assigned to repatriation duty.

Rechristened AMERICA, she finally entered transatlantic service in 1946 with a slightly revised capacity of 516 first, 371 cabin, and 159 tourist class passengers. In 1952, she was joined by the larger, faster UNITED STATES. Remeasured at 33,961 gt in 1960, her passenger capacity was revised to 516 in first and 530 in tourist.

In 1963, the hansome ship was sold to Chandris Lines, becoming the AUSTRALIS for UK-to-Australia emigrant service. She was refitted at Perama as a one class liner, with an expanded passenger capacity of 2,300. In addition to new cabins, she was given an outdoor lido to accommodate her new equatorial crossings. AUSTRALIS was also occasionally diverted to cruising, and finally retired from the fleet in 1977, when she was laid up at New Zealand.

The ship was sold to Venture Cruise Lines of New York for a disastrous revival as the SS AMERICA in July of 1978. Within 10 days of her new service, her owners ceased operations and the AMERICA was put up for auction. She was sold back to Chandris and returned for one Mediterranean season (without her forward dummy funnel) as the ITALIS in 1979, before being laid up at Eleusis. She later became the NOGA and the ALFERDOSS, not leaving her anchorage until late 1993, when sold to Chaoprayha Development Transport for use as a deluxe floating hotel at Phuket, Thailand.

Renamed AMERICAN STAR, she was drydocked and prepared for the tow, which commenced in December of 1993. Shortly after the grounding, the liner was pillaged by the locals of all fittings, art, brass, and removable wood, and the stern section began a gradual collapse into the merciless sea. The bow section (with its famous sampan funnel still upright) has held on, defying the elements to this day.

For more details on the history of this wonderful ship, please go to Darren Byrne's excellent and comprehensive SS AUSTRALIS website found on the LINKS page on Martime Matters.

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