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The Leilani (18,298 grt, 622 ft. long) was launched as the U.S. Navy troopship General W.P. Richardson
in 1944. After WW2 service she was laid up until chartered by American Export Lines in the late 1940s
for New York-Mediterranean service as the LaGuardia. After a couple of years she was again laid up until the
New York-based company Textron's subsidiary Hawaiian Textron bought her (initially registered with
Hawaiian Steamship Co.) in 1955. After a refit and being renamed Leilani she sailed between Hawaii
and California from 1957 until Hawaiian Textron went bankrupt in 1959. Her next owner was
American President Lines, who had her thoroughly rebuilt and put in trans-Pacific service as the
President Roosevelt from 1962 until 1970. Later she was used by a number of owners for cruising in
different parts of the world and under many different names (e.g. as the Emerald Seas for
the Eastern Steamship Lines). As the Ocean Explorer I she was finally sold for scrap in 2004.
From an undated (c. 1957) Hawaiian Steamship Co. promotional brochure on the Leilani (below).
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The Simplon Postcards website has a page on the Leilani with many postcards/photos of the ship, though under other names.
You may use my images on another website.
This page last updated January 26, 2012.
Then please credit them as being from the collection of Björn Larsson,
and preferably provide a link to my Introduction page.
Thank you!
