This Ship Should Have Sunk (But Didn't!) SS Malolo

[@arlen_95]

So much respect to naval architects like Gibbs. Architects who don’t just do the bare minimum, but instead do everything within their power to make their ships as safe as possible.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Yeah, we make a point of going the extra mile. It’s why we’ve survived as a firm for so long.

[@Alaryicjude]

And self-taught too! Astounding! What an amazing man!

[@morgan4574]

It's so cool that she was designed and constructed to become a troop ship or even a freaking AIRCRAFT CARRIER if needed. That's patriotism imo. Foresight over profit that you rarely see. And in this case, it saved countless lives.

[@boundish1]

It's a constant battle against bean counters.

[@urbansnipe]

The scary thing is the idea of having the largest cruise ships in the world we are going backwards in terms of safety the margin for stability is so thin now that any potted plants on board (more so on higher decks) need to have special soil to keep weight down also shop windows and such being swapped for perspex for the same reason after all of this the roll recover characteristics of these ships is barely deemed safe its scary

[@generalsquirrel9548]

Mr Gibbs showed how ships should be designed. He prioritised safety over everything else and did as much he could to make this ship as safe as possible. I will admire him for this work

[@DerpyPossum]

Malolo is probably one of my favorite 20s liners, and the fact that Gibbs was her designer makes everything just that much better. What a legend :)

[@chicagotypewriter2094]

Malolo is just so fun to say too!

[@MacAdvisor]

In the early 1930s, my grandparents took the SS Malolo to Hawaii for a two-week stay there. They raved about the ship for the rest of their lives, even saying the Queen Mary, which they took to the UK and back some years later, wasn't as nice.

[@ChickVicious237]

I'm starting to see why you admire Gibbs so much, what an incredible story and incredible ship. Imagine if they couldn't seal the swimming pool or if there hadn't been enough power for those doors to close when they needed to, what could we have lost with the Gibbs brothers' passing that night?

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Well-put!

[@HANKSANDY69420]

They wouldn't of necessarily died, while it could happen I believe this would most likely set them back with a dent in their reputation and wasted money.

[@ceu160193]

@@HANKSANDY69420 Or not, since that kind of disaster wasn't something ship could commonly survive.

[@vicmclaglen1631]

I sailed on one of his ships in the early 90s, the Britanis (originally Matsonia). Was grateful to have seen a real liner from their heyday. Ship was old, cobbled together with scavenged parts from her former sisters but still made her 20kt cruise speed and turned 180 degrees in port without a single tug assisting. Pretty impressive; I stood behind the stbd bridge wing and watched it all go down. Of all the passengers on the ship, I was the only one who apparently thought to go to the bridge when the ship was docking, as I was alone. I recall the young harbor pilot pounding his fist on the rail saying, "I need more revs!". The Greek captain in his low steady voice called out, "Slow astern two". The pilot was clearly enjoying himself; nudged the ship right alongside its berth after a complete 180 within a narrow channel. No help needed. Somewhere I have pictures of my access to the bridge itself, behind the auxiliary wheel.

[@HANKSANDY69420]

Wow cool

[@rob585]

Another comment by David M. Rossi says that the S.S. Malolo was remanded to the S.S. Matsonia in the 30s. So you actually sailed on this ship!

[@HANKSANDY69420]

@@rob585 *wow*

[@vicmclaglen1631]

@@rob585 There is easy confusion with their name changes, but if you look up "Britanis" and "Matsonia" on wikipedia it can be seen they were not the same ship, though both ships were called "Matsonia" at one point in their careers. Britanis retained a large classic wooden spoke ships wheel at the stern which was mostly for decoration but could be used for docking or extreme emergency. On the wheel was a nice big M A T S O N I A. Now, which of the two ships it actually came from, who's to say. Britanis is now at the bottom of the Atlantic, having sunk while under tow to the breakers in 2000.

[@cassini4751]

Its genuinely amazing that you make such high quality videos SO often, can't wait to see more!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Too kind thanks! I love making these and I'm so glad people enjoy them!

[@murraykitson1436]

I couldn't agree more! In this case , it is SO refreshing to hear a story with such a positive outcome. One wonders why the Andria Doria design didn't benefit from this incident?

[@richarddyasonihc]

Having made the previous observations, I must say how impressed I was with beautiful lines and the accommodation aboard the Mololo. Apart from looks, the ship was faultlessly engineered. I dread the story of sinking of cAndrea Doria, which makes shocking reading - especially regarding the behaviour of the crew!

[@redeagle321]

My Grandfather came to the United States on the Queen Frederica, I almost jump out of my skin when I realized this was the same ship AND in learning that it was so badass. Thanks for the vid, this one is particularly special to me!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Great personal connection there!

[@HANKSANDY69420]

Yep!

[@Kaidhicksii]

That's awesome!

[@Crazyguy_123MC]

Gibbs overengineered the ships but that overengineering always helped them. All the ships designed by Gibbs looked really great and they were very well designed they were/are probably the closest ships to be unsinkable especially the later ships like SS United States which took the extra step of not having anything flammable. Gibbs designed ships to survive just about anything and were designed to last a long time.

[@doodledangernoodle2517]

Even with her age and lack of upkeep, the United States is still incredibly structurally sound. A testament to Gibbs’s commitment to safety. It really is a shame the United States never got the chance to really show her potential. Imagine if she had come out in the 30s/40s alongside America and served in WWII and Korea, and then finally had her short career in the 50s-60s? I think she would’ve been extremely popular and reliable. Maybe she would’ve been saved by the UK while the US saved the Queen Mary?

[@EnzedderEntertainment]

Malolo is just absolutely stunning! It’s incredibly to think she was nearly lost so early in her life.

[@lsswappedcessna]

Malolo: *gets hit in a way that would destroy any other ship* also Malolo: "I didn't hear no bell"

[@GlamorousTitanic21]

Is it weird that I’ve never heard of this engineering miracle of a ship until now. William Gibbs was a genius of the shipbuilding world. Another amazing and informative video as always!

[@HANKSANDY69420]

Yep!

[@chelseapinkardships]

Gibbs was SELF-TAUGHT?? Bloody hell, what a legend

[@michaelbujaki2462]

Yep, can't do that anymore.

[@kay9549]

Absolutely; indeed, he was way ahead of the curve. Well done Gibbs and Cox; indeed designed such beautiful ships; including the beautiful uss united states; America's flagship; to this day still holds the blue riband since 1952; for transatlantic travel.

[@Kingsoupturbo]

You can imagine how popular that ship became after it took a full speed hit into its boiler room and didn't sink, thats the ship I want to sail on! Great story telling as usual.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I am wondering if his lack of formal training may have helped him as a designer by leading him away from 'orthodoxy' and, almost accidentally, creating a safer design? I had not heard about this story. Amazingly dramatic! Thank you for the video!

[@cathyhowat5224]

I went aboard her several times in Picton New Zealand, where I grew up. She was then Queen Frederica. My mother was one of the local ladies who staffed the information booth on Waitohi Wharf. As such I usually got a tour of the ships and lunch or dinner aboard.

[@Doncroft1]

What an absolute TRIUMPH of ship design and safety. Well done, Mr. Gibbs. Damn good shipwright work! You saved lives by not cutting corners, and you got to see it firsthand. If you were alive, I'd shake your hand, sir.

[@TJWatson59]

..the Gibbs brothers and their creations and innovations would take more than an entire presentation, but dont let that stop you! ;)

[@brycetomecek5065]

Thanks for covering this Mike. It’s truly an underrated moment of naval history.

[@felixcat9318]

I love your enthusiasm for sharing these stories, and I agree that this was an especially beautiful liner. The Naval Architect's designed their vessel to survive, and those water tight doors and superstructure high waterproof bulkheads meant the difference between buoyancy or sinking! Crew and passengers could feel comfortable that this was a proven safe ship.

[@CoffeeMug2828]

going above and beyond what was needed surely paid off. Gibbs is someone that even modern naval architects can learn a thing or two from.

[@MaritimeHistoryandArchitecture]

I remember you bringing this up in your ss United States video,so glad you're going in to more detail on it because I was wondering exactly how well compartmented she was

[@tns-rox]

Great story about this beautiful ship, highlighting that lessons learned from the Titanic disaster regarding the watertight compartments design were responsible for saving the ship.

[@PennsyPappas]

Not only did they not design just the bare minimum but also made sure sub standard materials were being used, something that is often overlooked or done intentionally. I think the long career of this ship really speaks for itself that in the long run it was worth the investment.

[@1958Cadillac-v2g]

Also MADE SURE THAT SUB STANDARD MATERIALS WERE BEING USED........????????LOL.

[@michaelbujaki2462]

I know what yo meant to say, but I wish to point out that you said that wrong.

[@BucksSuperStereoWorld]

When I was 11 or 12 (1994 or 1995) I moved to Brandon, Florida and my parents and I went to Seabreeze Restaurant in Tampa, but what I couldn't take my eyes off of was two large blue funnels with the white X on each funnel. It was the SS Britanis, which turned out to the Matson liner Monterey. She was so beautiful and I ALWAYS wanted to see her interiors, but there were always guards keeping watch at the docks (which was across the bay from Seabreeze). I used to fish right next to that ship for years until one day I noticed that her name was changed to Belofin-1. There was a blue ship moored next to it and she was named Bluenose. Turns out they were both sold for scrap to an Indian scrapyard (most likely Alang). Britanis was towed, heading for India when she started taking on water. This happened after I left Florida, and I found out about it afterwards, but she sank 50 nmi south of Cape Town, Africa on October 21st, 2000. Bluenose was sent to Mexico. Such a truly sad end for Monterey, which was part of the White Fleet that included Malolo.

[@jetsons101]

What a amazing story, perfect example of "Do it right the first time." Never heard of Gibbs, now I have something new to research - - - thanks.....

[@marianilsson8785]

I believe he had three sons…

[@FeatheredWingz]

Wow....a very literal "happy accident". No one was killed or seriously injured & a highly safety-conscious architect walks away with his deserved positive renown. Thanks for telling this story!

[@adem9599]

Isn't it weird that all the ships that rammed the emperess of ireland , the andrea doria and the malolo were scandinavian, coincidence? I think not.

[@Karle94]

Norway is famous for it's shipping, so it makes sense. Allies may have lost the war without the Norwegian merchant fleet due to how many modern fast ships it had, especially tankers.

[@larchman4327]

I think I remember that the line that operated the Stockholm didn't agree to use established shipping lanes that most lines where using. Not to leave the Andrea Doreas crew blameless cause everyone messed up on that one.

[@DerpyPossum]

A Norwegian ship was also responsible for the t-bone collision that caused the Halifax Explosion

[@Daniel_Huffman]

The _Imo_ may have been Norwegian-flagged at the time, but she wasn’t always this way, as she had begun her life as the White Star Line's SS _Runic._

[@vincent412l7]

@@larchman4327 the rest of the world adopted passing green-to-green, scandinavia long used red-to-red.

[@Einwetok]

Respect! A LOT of US ships in WW2 came from designs he made. That's a career to remember.

[@moreyouknow8956]

There’s always the miracle ships 😂 Great work as usual! Maybe you could do a video on the bremen or the rex, just a suggestion. Anywys, keep up the great work!

[@manuelkong10]

Thank God for conscientious people like Gibbs....doing things right because that's the right thing to do....care and respect for the lives that would be sailing on that ship.

[@Unownshipper]

Truly, truly fascinating. I never heard of this ship, the San Francisco/Hawaii route, or this incident, but it was all marvelous to learn about. Well done once again!

[@TheRealBobSaget]

Mike, you constantly make fantastic videos for us to enjoy, you’re currently my favorite youtube channel. Thank you for making such informative and interesting content, your dedication and presentation are top notch!

[@167curly]

Thank you, Mike Brady, for that great report about the Malolo.

[@a.leemorrisjr.9255]

I'd never heard of this one, no doubt she was a strong, safe, well built ship & a "lucky" one.

[@andrewnaylor3965]

very nice presentation I had never heard of the ship and you did her Justice

[@jaiclary8423]

Love it, such a fantastic story. It needs more visibility.

[@CostaCola]

This was really uplifting oddly enough. I was excited and wanted to congratulate them when the ship held xD

[@matthewcox6615]

It's funny actually I was thinking about the Malolo yesterday. Gibbs really had a long list of ships he designed throughout his life.

[@keith800]

Great video , just shows the difference between chasing profits and passenger safety which shows in how popular and successful she was .

[@gchampi2]

THAT's how to make your reputation in ship design! Not only having your first ship be a design that was eminently fit for purpose, but also be PROVEN to be a safe ship before any passengers were risked. I'd be willing to bet the Gibbs brothers and Adm. Taylor (sp?) danced a happy little jig once they were in private onshore - they couldn't have planned a better demonstration of the quality and safety of their design, and they had the perfect example if any prospective buyers grumbled about the cost of their designs. It's hard to quibble design decisions when they have been proven to work...

[@dalecarnegie439]

I watched his videos just because he look so good it brighten my days

[@Tedbb1]

It's great to see that some designers did learn from the disasters of the past and proved it.

[@S3JUN3]

When i was a child i could have only think one channel like this animations but now with this i am grateful of this channel and every video and the designs of the ships beatiful overall

[@ProjectLeviathan]

So glad I found this channel, I never thought I'd find a channel exactly for my niche interests in ships lol.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Haha welcome aboard!

[@raymondleggs5508]

well the ship did have a very signature Gibbs look!

[@jessstone7486]

What a fantastic story! The Matson Line is familiar to me; as a child in Tacoma, WA I seem to recall seeing that name...perhaps one of her ships stopped there? No wonder you like Gibbs - I do, as well. A hero in this sense, and a stickler for doing the right thing > so very rare, in any age. Bless his heart.

[@ceu160193]

It was probably most strict sea trial one could expect - one where failure is punished by death.

[@Samaldoful]

Amazing design

[@maxonite]

Just goes to show you can never have too much safety on deck! Great design

[@D6M6R]

You should do a part two on this ship and her history starting with when Matson redesigned Malolo in the 1930’s by repositioning her lifeboats, adding more Lanai suite cabins and renaming her ss Matsonia. Her history is quite fascinating.

[@raybame5816]

As a young person, I always thought the Matson ships were very handsome and dreamed of sailing to the South Seas. This story you've presented is fascinating, and of course, I knew none of it. Ya gotta love YT.

[@richardnedbalek1968]

😊I always enjoy your engaging narration and the tone, detail, and interesting facts you have.

[@hyphysteve]

Another great production. Your presentation is how these kinds of documentaries should be done. good job!!

[@richardberkeley4511]

Your diction and voice production are very good, a joy to hear.

[@J.R.in_WV]

Now for a serious comment: William Francis Gibb was one of the greatest American architects of the 20th century and we should all admire him greatly for his industrious spirit and keen ability to solve complex problems with solutions that while simple were elusive to many of the so-called “best minds” in the world until someone (Gibbs) with the minds-eye to see what should have been obvious came along and made what nobody else could even imagine not only a reality, but often times a “common sense approach” that before him hadn’t even been dreamt of. The SS United States is still afloat with her hull and superstructure remaining seaworthy in spite of having been out of service for over fifty years and having been on the water save for occasional dry-docking that has announced to less than 2 year’s time cumulatively, for the last 71 years. That’s a LONG time.

[@toddbonin6926]

Mike! Bravo!!! Another brilliant video. You refer to the Gibbs brothers obsession with detail and also their work refitting the Vaterland into the Leviathan. Well, Albert Ballin was another shipping great who was obsessed with details. I wonder if his work on Vaterland influenced them. Also, what is with these Scandinavian ships hitting other liners? As a Danish-American I want to know why these Swedes and Norwegians ram other ships. Oh I’m just kidding my brethren … but it does make you ask the question. Cheers Mike!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Haha perhaps we have uncovered a 110 year old Scandinavian plot to sabotage US shipping!

[@akshaygowrishankar7440]

0:38 it nearly would've sunk Gibbs himself, as he was onboard that day observing. Thankfully he and the ship survived.

[@Phaaschh]

First time to this story for me, Mike. Astounding piece of maritime history, and another first-rate production. Many, many thanks.

[@aegean0019]

my great grandfather was on this ship when he came from greece to new york. this was really cool to find!

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Great story Mike! Thanks for posting!

[@cuddlepaws4423]

Having worked in engineering quality control and being somewhat OCD , I would just like to say WOW about Gibbs . VERY impressed . This is how things SHOULD be done . Being self taught he obviously taught himself very well 👍👍👍

[@The_Dudester]

Thank you for this piece of information that I've never heard before. Well done!!

[@James.G.Ireland]

Under the circumstances this channel is fantastic & very informative i find it fascinating we get drawn to such things

[@SaturnCanuck]

Wow! No words. What a fantastic tale!

[@leoseguin5761]

Wasn't able to sleep and then I got surprised with this, it's a good day

[@dunnoanymore123]

Like cassini said, Its once a week and they are all so good! Keep making these videos!

[@Seiskid]

Good story. I was aware of the ship, but had no idea this happened to her during trials.

[@slender_04f14]

My grandmother immigrated from Naples, Italy to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the Malolo - Queen Frederica, as she was known then - in 1955, and has lived a fantastic life in Canada since.

[@virtuatom93]

I'd love you to do a video on the history of the ss maheno it's a really fascinating ocean liner shipwreck.

[@yoptastic8463]

Like your channel, watched a few now and I'm impressed with your facts and good story-telling ability. I liked the work you've done The Part Time Exporer.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks so much, welcome aboard! Working with Tom is always a pleasure!

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

I feel so lucky to have this channel suggested especially with this platform going down the drain. Edit: Please don't change your method of presentation.

[@jimevers7776]

I think this may have been the ship my father came back from WW2 . There was an article in the Sacramento Bee about the ship going to scrap and my father made a comment about it being the ship he came back on.

[@thomaskositzki9424]

On topic: such a great story! There you have it - be meticulous and responsible in what you do and it pays off if stuff goes south.

[@foglet1]

At this point, I’m sure things happen to ships for the sole purpose that Mike will make videos about them in centuries time

[@itstonino4553]

I love watching your videos they help me get educated on historic liners Thank you !

[@ardiffley-zipkin9539]

Very interesting and well documented. Great Narration. Thanks again, Mike I enjoyed it !

[@TheHylianBatman]

Now THAT'S a Hell of a story! What a lovely ship, and what foresight! Good on Gibbs for keeping disaster in mind. It sure came through! A man who sleeps with a machete is a fool every night, except one.

[@mattwilliams3456]

Amazing story perfectly told.

[@doggonemess1]

5:58 From the mist, a shape, a ship, is taking form. And the silence of the sea is about to drift into a storm.

[@lukesfascinatingfacts2594]

An idea for a video I have always hoped you could make would be the names of and some details on the ships used in older movies like ones with Bob Hope, Charlie Chan, and those classic movie stars where they filmed ships and ocean liners for their films!

[@HighTide1715]

Excellent video, on a well built, and lucky ship. The ship that did not want to sink. Thanks.

[@craigpeter4794]

Another brilliant one Mike. Keep up the good work 👏

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks Craig!

[@vilstef6988]

Great story-I'd never heard of Malolo, but was very familiar with Republic, Empress of Ireland and Andrea Dorea!

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

Thank you for another great video. I am not sure, however, I think that the Queen Frederica came into Wellington in New Zealand. I certainly heard my parents talking about her.

[@Kaidhicksii]

It is stories about creative geniuses such as Gibbs and the results of their labor of love such as the Malolo which stoke an overwhelmingly fiery passion of mine to do the same someday. I look up to this guy for a reason, and in true Gibbs fashion, the ship that I am designing and WILL see built one day will be the greatest of them all and just on a whole other level. :D

[@Flamingo_Llama3737]

I remember you mentioning the SS Malolo in your SS United States video.

[@jeffreysalomone6354]

Fascinating story. A disaster averted. Great job, my friend Mike Brady!

[@canadianrobloxian74]

mad respect to shipbuilders like Gibbs, they took safety over comfort edit WHY ARE SCANDINAVIAN SHIPS INVOLVED IN THE MOST FAMOUS RAMMING ACCIDENTS ON SEA

[@johnlunnun9769]

Wonderful elegant ship, like her later sisters! I was on her in the late 60’s. These ships couldn’t offer what the cruise liners have to day, but I’d rather sail on the them in a heart beat, and go without all the modern trappings!

[@JKS62B50]

Mike you have a gift. Keep making this great and highly interesting videos...

[@BillyAlabama]

Excellent production!

[@christyg.8811]

This is now my favorite channel!

[@pedenharley6266]

Wonderful video! Thank you!

[@wpbshow]

Fascinating! Good job

[@speederscout]

Just WOW. What a story!

[@John-ci8yk]

Never heard of this before, thank you very much, thumbs up.

[@johnlonie7899]

Can I suggest that the ships of the Straits Shipping Line, vital in the growth of pre-war Malaya and Singapore, in particular the SS Kedah, might be a good subject for a future presentation. I appreciate your work; very informative and top class presentation. Thank you.

[@cobrajewel]

Speaking as an (*ahem*) Emmy-winning sound designer, I applaud your filmmaking skills, especially your audio beds. The projector chatter under archival footage was brilliant.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Hey that's great, thanks so much! I really appreciate that. Sound is so important for any film media but unfortunately it is one of those jobs which, if done right, is seldom noticed. Congratulations on your win(s)! ~Mike

[@KnightIndustries1982]

Great video first I heard about the Maolo