MS Selandia

MS Selandia

MS Selandia one of the most advanced ocean-going diesel motor ship in her time.

'Selandia' is the Latin name for the Danish island of Sjælland. The original MS Selandia (1912) was ordered by the Danish trading firm East Asiatic Company for service between Scandinavia, Genoa, Italy, and Bangkok, Thailand. She was built at Burmeister & Wain Shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark, and launched on 4 November 1911 before embarking on its maiden journey from Copenhagen to Bangkok on 22 February 1912. She is frequently referred to as 'the world's first ocean-going diesel-powered ship' (previous vessel were steam-powered). MS Selandia didn't have a funnel; instead smoke from her engines escaped through the rear mast. However, this claim was significantly challenged in 1996. There are evidence to say that the engines of M/S Selandia was a first on numerous points, but she was clearly not the worlds dieseldriven ship, nor was she the world's first ocean going ship (as the Dutch 'Vulcanus beat her to it by two years). However, she was certainly the largest, and most advanced diesel driven ship at the time of her maiden voyage in January 1912.

Built for cargo and passenger carriage, Selandia had "very ample and rather luxurious" cabins for 20 first class passengers, single-berth cabins of "exceptional size, with toilet and bath for every two cabins, and an extra feature is the servants' rooms, arranged in connection with private cabins."

She was sold to Panama in 1936 and renamed Norseman, and Tornator in 1940.

A second ship was built in 1938 and scrapped in 1962. The third Selandia, built in 1972, was sold to USA in 1994 and renamed USNS Gilliland in 1998.

The East Asiatic Company (EAC) became T&E, thereafter TESMA, and finally, as of 2007, EMS. Today the tradition continues, with a vessel named Selandia, owned/operated by EMS.