{{Short description|Passengers and Shipping Company}} {{Infobox company | name = Pacific Far East Line (PFEL) | logo = | fate = Bankrupted | founder = Thomas E. Cuffe | key_people = | founded = 1943 | defunct = 1978 | hq_location = San Francisco, California (141 Battery Street) | successor = | parent = | industry = Maritime transport | services = Cargo and Passengers Liners | area_served = Far East and Worldwide }}{{Coatrack|date=March 2025}} '''Pacific Far East Line''', also called '''PFEL''' in short, was a passenger and cargo shipping line founded in 1943 by Thomas E. Cuffe, in San Francisco, California.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/12/23/archives/thomas-e-cuffe-headed-ship-line-chairman-of-pacific-far-east.html|title=THOMAS E. CUFFE, HEADED SHIP LINE; Chairman of Pacific Far East Concern Dies -Got Propeller Club Award|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 23, 1959}}</ref> At the beginning he started by chartering foreign ships to run the lines in tramp trade. Later scheduled cargo services were added to the line. During World War II the South Atlantic steamship line was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration.

After the end of World War II, the Pacific Far East Line purchased some of the low-cost surplus ships. All purchased ships were given names ending with the word "Bear". Pacific Far East Line flag was blue with a golden bear and below the letters PFEL, and Pacific Far East Line ads called PFEL routes "Routes of the Bear". During wartime, the South Atlantic steamship line operated Victory ships and Liberty ships. Chairman Thomas E. Cuffe died in 1959. Pacific Far East Line operated some lighter aboard ships.

In 1977, the US Maritime Subsidy Board approved the application of PFEL for being granted a construction-differential subsidy (CDS) for financing the reconstruction of four LASH barge carriers into full container ships at Bethlehem Steel's San Francisco shipyard at a cost of U$5 millions each. The four ships were the Thomas E. Cuffe, Golden Bear, Japan Bear, and the Pacific Bear, all built in 1971 and 1972 at Avondale Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans, La. However, as containerization expanded, Pacific Far East Line failed to upgrade sufficiently rapidly its fleet to container ships and modernize as other shipping lines did in the 1970s. With the Vietnam War over Pacific Far East Line lost revenues and eventually went bankrupt and closed in 1978, all ships being sold or scrapped due to age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pacific-far-east-line-inc/view/google/|title=Pacific Far East Line, Inc. in San Francisco, CA (Google Maps)|date=March 3, 2015|website=Virtual Globetrotting}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/pfel74i.htm|title=Pacific Far East Line - Mariposa - Monterey|website=www.timetableimages.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us~hfpa.html#pacfareast|title=House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies: P|website=www.crwflags.com}}</ref>

==Coastwise Line== '''Coastwise Line''' was owned-managed by Pacific Far East Line out of San Francisco, with Headquarters at 315 California Street. Coastwise Line was founded by Hector Hunt in 1938 in Portland, Oregon. The ships of Coastwise Line flew a white and blue flag with "CL" on it. During World War II, Coastwise Line was active in chartering ships. In 1960, the company closed. Coastwise Line's main ports included New York City, New Orleans, Galveston, Havana, and others. They also operated ferry lines across San Francisco Bay and riverboats between San Francisco and Sacramento. Additionally, Coastwise Line had port facilities for transferring equipment across the Sacramento River between Port Costa and Benicia, California. Main route was moving Northwest timber. Coastwise Line operated the ''Alaska service'' which ran between the Pacific Coast and British Columbia to/from Alaska. Coastwise Line operated the ''Columbia River service'' that ran between Portland, Oregon to/from Long Beach, California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us~hfcl.html|title=House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies: C|website=www.crwflags.com}}</ref><ref>The New York Times, Feb. 26, 1960</ref><ref>[https://www.streamlinerschedules.com/sailings/195304/195304-advertisements.pdf US Shipping]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/long-island-tankers-corporation-v-ss-kaimana|title=Long Island Tankers Corp. v. S. S. Kaimana, 265 F. Supp. 723 &#124; Casetext Search + Citator|website=casetext.com}}{{dead link|date=August 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>The Marine News, Volume 42, July 1955</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Alaska Freight Lines, Inc. v. Weeks, 18 F.R.D. 64 (1955) |url=https://cite.case.law/frd/18/64/ |publisher=Caselaw Access Project |access-date=21 December 2023}}</ref><ref>Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports, Volume 45, 1934</ref><ref>The Liberty Ships of World War II, By Greg H. Williams</ref>

==Lykes Coastwise Line== '''Lykes-Coastwise Line''' was a partnership founded in 1934 in Florida, with routes on the east coast, the agreement ended in 1946. Lykes-Coastwise Line also operated charter ships during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://florida.intercreditreport.com/company/lykes-coastwise-line-inc-129988|title=LYKES-COASTWISE LINE INC|website=florida.intercreditreport.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/muller-v-lyke-coastwise-line|title=Muller v. Lyke Coastwise Line, Inc., 144 F. Supp. 135 &#124; Casetext Search + Citator|website=casetext.com}}{{dead link|date=August 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Pacific Far East Line Routes== thumb|1976 envelope used in canoe mail with PFEL logo|220 px *US homes ports were: Los Angeles and San Francisco. * Main foreign ports were: Japan, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Okinawa, Korea, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Guam, Philippines, Manila, Philippine Islands, and Thailand. Also ports in Manchuria. Some ports in the U.S.S.R. in Asia<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/394/990/235932/|title=Pacific Far East Line, Inc. v. the United States, 394 F.2d 990 (Ct. Cl. 1968)|website=Justia Law}}</ref>

==Ships== [[file:SS American Victory.jpg|thumb|right|World War II Victory ship]] [[file:YAG 39 USS GEORGE EASTMAN (After being refitted with scientific equipment).jpg|thumb|right|World War II Liberty ship]] [[File:SS Mariposa ship cancellation.jpg|thumb|SS ''Mariposa'' ship cancellation used in 1976]] Some ships charted or owned by Pacific Far East Line and Coastwise Line: * SS Canada Bear (was SS Paducah Victory) <ref name="auto6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsP.html|title=vicshipsP|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Hawaii Bear<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsK.html|title=vicshipsK|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Alaska Bear (was SS Bluefield Victory) <ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsB.html|title=vicshipsB|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS India Bear * SS California Bear * SS Peter Silvester sank * SS Golden Bear LASH carrier (was Beaver Mariner) * SS Korean bear (was Sooner Mariner) * SS Hong Kong Bear C4 * SS Oregon Bear C4 * SS Washington Bear C4 (was Tar Heel Mariner) * SS Pacific Bear Sank <ref>[https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?289528 wrecksite.eu, Pacific Bear ]</ref> * SS Guam Bear (renamed SS New Zealand Bear) * SS Japan Bear (was Grand Canyon Mariner) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maritime.dot.gov/history/gallant-ship-award/ss-japan-bear|title=SS JAPAN BEAR &#124; MARAD|website=www.maritime.dot.gov}}</ref> * SS Tosina * SS Portland Trader * SS Nikobar, Sank 1934 as SS Carlsholm <ref>[https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?259932 wrecksite.eu, SS Carlsholm]</ref> * SS Ames Victory <ref name="auto7">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsA.html|title=vicshipsA|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Anchorage Victory<ref name="auto7" /> * SS Boise Victory <ref name="auto3"/> * SS Villanova Victory <ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsT.html|title=vicshipsT|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Winthrop Victory charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto"/> * SS Simmons Victory<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsS.html|title=vicshipS|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Greeley Victory <ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsF.html|title=vicshipsF|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Owensboro Victory <ref name="auto15">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsN.html|title=vicshipsN|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Grinnell Victory <ref name="auto4"/> * SS Santa Clara Victory, charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto5"/> * SS Rider Victory <ref name="auto13">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsR.html|title=vicshipsR|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Pan American Victory, charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto6"/> * SS Princeton Victory, charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto6"/> * SS Swarthmore Victory charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto5"/> * SS Yugoslavia Victory <ref name="auto"/> * SS Luther Burbank charted for Vietnam War <ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsL.html|title=LibShipsL|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Morgantown Victory for Vietnam War <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsM.html|title=vicshipsM|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Lyman Stewart <ref name="auto1"/> * SS Morrison R. Waite <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsM.html|title=LibShipsM|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Augustus Thomas <ref name="auto9">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibshipsA.html|title=LibshipsA|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Henry M. Stephens <ref name="auto11">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsH.html|title=LibShipsH|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Hiram S. Maxim <ref name="auto11"/> * SS Edwin Abbey <ref name="auto14">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsE.html|title=LibShipsE|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Chung Tung <ref name="LibShipsC">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsC.html|title=LibShipsC|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Fleetwood * SS George Eastman * SS Rufus King * SS Mariposa, originally a cargo carrier named Pine Tree Mariner, bought from Matson in 1971 and sold in 1979 <ref name="S.S. Mariposa II">{{Cite web|url=https://greatships.net/mariposa2|title=S.S. Mariposa II|website=greatships.net/mariposa2}}</ref>

==Coastwise Line Ships== *SS Coast Farmer *SS Coast Trader sank *SS Coast Banker *SS Coast Merchant *SS Coast Shipper *SS Coast Miller *SS Codington *SS Leland Stanford *Coastal Sentry *SS La Grange *SS Abbot L. Mills<ref name="auto9"/> *SS King S. Woolsey <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsK.html|title=LibShipsK|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Jacob H. Gallinger * SS James Lick<ref name="auto8">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsJ-Ji.html|title=LibShipsJ|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS James W. Cannon<ref name="auto8"/> * SS Harry Leon Wilson<ref name="auto11"/> *SS Harvey W. Wiley<ref name="auto11"/> *SS Henry Villard<ref name="auto11"/> * SS Horace See<ref name="auto11"/> * SS Benjamin Bonneville *SS Henry Longfellow * SS ''Charles M. Russell<ref name="LibShipsC" />'' * SS ''Elizabeth Blackwell<ref name="auto14" />''

==Lykes Coastwise Line ships== *''Empire Flamingo <ref name="auto10">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireF.html|title = EmpireF}}</ref>'' *''Empire Falcon<ref name="auto10" />'' * SS ''Joel Chandler Harris<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsJo.html|title = LibShipsJo}}</ref>'' *SS ''Abbot L. Mills<ref name="auto9" />'' * ''Empire Ortolan<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireN.html|title = EmpireN}}</ref>''

==PFEL LASH carrier== Two C4-S-1t LASH carriers were built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in San Francisco: * SS ''China Bear'' 1962 LASH carrier, scrapped 1986 * SS ''Philippine Bear'' 1962 LASH carrier, scrapped 1986 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1729568|title=PHILIPPINE BEAR - IMO 7225714 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker|website=www.shipspotting.com}}</ref>

The C4-S-1 class, also known as the ''Mariner'' class, where the largest of the C4 ships, 37 were built.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/mariner.htm|title=C4-S-1a Mariner / APA-248 Paul Revere / AKA-112 Tulare|first=John|last=Pike|website=www.globalsecurity.org|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2c4cargoships.htm|title=C4 Cargo Ships|website=shipbuildinghistory.com|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>

thumb|right|Type C7 Ship

==PFEL Ro-Ro Ship== * ''Atlantic Bear'' was a Roll-on/roll-off ship built in 1976 by Sun Shipyards for the Pacific Far East Line, at 17,300 DWT for $30 million, in 1984 she was renamed ''Atlantic Spirit'' in 1989 ''Kaimoku'' in 1998 ''El Yunque''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipssincewwii/3roroships.htm|title=Ro-Ro Ships Built in the U.S. since WWII|accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref>

==PFEL Type C7 Ships== Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point Shipyard constructed two C7-S-88a container ships for Pacific Far East Line (PFEL).<ref>{{cite web|title=Pacific Far East Line|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us~hfpa.html#pacfareast|work=House Flags of US Shipping Companies|publisher=Flags Of The World|access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref> The two new ships were launched as SS ''Australia Bear'' and SS ''New Zealand Bear''. ''Australia Bear'' was completed in 1973, but before ''New Zealand Bear'' had been fully outfitted both ships were sold in 1974 to Sea-Land Service, Inc. and renamed ''Sea-Land Consumer'' and ''Sea-Land Producer'' as Sealand's SL18P class.<ref>Cudahay 206 pp. 133-134, 266-267</ref> Sea-Land was bought by the CSX Corporation in 1986, and both ships were renamed in 2000. The domestic U.S. liner operations of Sea-Land were sold in 2003 and subsequently operated under the name Horizon Lines.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.horizonlines.com/service/how-we-ship/vessels |title=How We Ship - Vessels |publisher=Horizon Lines |access-date=30 September 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326105027/http://www.horizonlines.com/service/how-we-ship/vessels |archive-date=26 March 2015 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> Their service life came in a full circle when Matson, who had initially designed the ships decades earlier, acquired Horizon Lines in 2015. The vessels would serve their new owners a few more years as ''Matson Consumer'' and ''Matson Producer''. They were scrapped in 2018 and 2019 respectively. {| class="wikitable" |- ! MA Hull # !! MA Design !! Original Name !! Shipyard Hull # !! GT !! DWT !! Delivery !! IMO !! Later Names !! Fate |- | 253 || C7-S-88a || ''Australia Bear'' || 4639 || 23,763 || 26,600 ||1973 || IMO 7224306 || ''Sea-Land Consumer'', ''CSX Consumer'', ''Horizon Consumer'', ''Matson Consumer''|| Scrapped 2018<ref>{{cite web|title=United States Flag Privately Owned Merchant Fleet - Summaryary of Changes|url=https://www.maritime.dot.gov/sites/marad.dot.gov/files/oictures/Consolidated_In_Out_List_20190815.pdf|access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref> |- | 254 || C7-S-88a || ''New Zealand Bear'' || 4640 || 23,763 || 26,600 ||1974 || IMO 7366312 || ''Sea-Land Producer'', ''CSX Producer'', ''Horizon Producer'', ''Matson Producer'' || Scrapped 2019<ref>{{cite web|title=Weekly Vessel Scrapping Report: 2019 Week 35|url=https://shipandbunker.com/news/features/risk-management/457400-weekly-vessel-scrapping-report-2019-week-35|access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref> |- |}

==PFEL C8-S-81b ships== right|thumb|Design C8 In the late 1960s, shipbuilding engineer Jerome L. Goldman designed the first LASH ships, Type C8-class ship, the Acadia Forest and the Atlantic Forest. Avondale shipyard start construction in 1969 of the second LASH ships the C8-S-81b. The ten C8-S-81b LASH ships were of identical design and built from 1970 to 1973. The 11 ships were used by two shipping lines Prudential Grace Line in New York and Pacific Far East Line in San Francisco. The price for each ship was $21.3 million.<ref>Hans Jürgen Witthöft: Piggyback over the sea. The barge carrier family. Koehler's publishing company, Hamburg 1987, {{ISBN|3-7822-0275-9}}</ref> *C8 Barge Carrier ship names: **''Thomas E. Cuffe'', Golden Bear, Pacific Bear, Japan Bear, and China Bear<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipssincewwii/3marad.htm|title=Ships Built unser MARAD Contracts|accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref>

==World War II== Coastwise Line fleet of ships were used to help the World War II effort. During World War II Coastwise Line operated Merchant navy ships for the United States Shipping Board. During World War II Coastwise Line was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Coastwise Line operated Liberty ships and Victory ships for the merchant navy. The ship was run by its Coastwise Line crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/wsa/operators.html|title=Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II|website=www.usmm.org}}</ref><ref name="NAG1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.armed-guard.com/item07.html|title=Sea Lane Vigilantes|website=www.armed-guard.com|access-date=2022-07-23|archive-date=2000-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000118132226/http://www.armed-guard.com/item07.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NAG">World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merchant Marine, 2007-2014 Project Liberty Ship, Project Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25846 Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD [https://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20basic%20training,California%3B%20and%20Gulfport%2C%20Mississippi.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514224645/https://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20basic%20training,California%3B%20and%20Gulfport%2C%20Mississippi. |date=2022-05-14 }}</ref>

**World War 2 ships:<ref>From Hell Hole to High Tech: Historical Highlights, Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association Affiliated with the Seafarers' International Union AFL-CIO. Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association, 1983 - Merchant mariners, page 40</ref> * SS Coast Trader June 7, 1942 torpedoed * SS Coast Farmer July 20, 1942 torpedoed * SS Augustus Thomas Oct. 24, 1944 bombed * SS Rufus King July 7, 1942 stranded, broke in two * SS Samuel Heintzelman July 1, 1943 sank by surface raider in Indian Ocean * SS Peter Sylvester Feb. 6, 1945 torpedoed * SS Abbot L. Mills <ref name="auto9"/> * SS Rider Victory <ref name="auto13"/> * SS Ames Victory <ref name="auto7"/> * SS Anchorage Victory <ref name="auto7"/> * SS Anniston Victory <ref name="auto7"/> * SS Harry Leon Wilson <ref name="auto11"/> * SS Jacob H. Gallinger <ref name="auto8"/> * SS Villanova Victory <ref name="auto"/> * SS Yugoslavia Victory <ref name="auto"/> * SS Boise Victory <ref name="auto3"/> * SS Princeton Victory <ref name="auto6"/> * SS Benjamin Bonneville <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibshipsB.html|title=LibshipsB|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref> * SS Owensboro Victory <ref name="auto15"/> * SS Elizabeth Blackwell <ref name="auto14"/> * SS Simmons Victory <ref name="auto5"/> * SS Charles M. Russell <ref name="LibShipsC"/>

==See also== {{Commons category|Liberty ships}} {{Commons category|Victory ships}} *World War II United States Merchant Navy

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Subject bar | portal1=Transport}}

{{MARCOMships}} {{WWII US ships}} {{Victory ships}} {{Liberty ships}} {{Empire ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacific Far East Line}} Category:Defunct shipping companies of the United States Category:Transport companies established in 1943 Category:1943 establishments in California