The SS Athenic was a British passenger liner built by Harland & Wolff shipyards for the White Star Line in 1901. In 1928, she came to a Norwegian company and was renamed the SS Pelagos. Torpedoed in 1944, she was refloated the following year and continued to serve until scrapping in 1962.
The 12,234-ton Athenic was built on the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast and launched on 17 August 1901, the first of three identical sister ships which were built for the profitable freight and passenger service from London to Wellington, New Zealand. The other two were the SS Corinthic (1902) and the SS Ionic (1903). They were the first orders of the White Star Line after its takeover by J. P. Morgan's International Mercantile Marine Company (IMMC). The Athenic moored at Queens Wharf, Wellington.
Like her sister ships, the Athenic had two eight-cylinder quadruple expansion steam engines powered by Harland & Wolff, working the ship's two propellers that delivered 604 nominal horsepower, giving a service speed of 14 knots. The passenger capacity of 121 passengers were in first class, 117 second class and 450 third class. The ship was equipped with electric lighting and cooling chambers for transport of frozen meat, specifically lamb meat.
On 13 February 1902, she sailed into London on her maiden voyage to Wellington via the Canary Islands, Cape Town and Hobart.
For more, see the book Migrant Ships to Australia and New Zealand 1900-1939.
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