Constructed in 1929-30 in the US for Sieran, the MS Soglasie (Harmony) was the first in a new generation of combination liners serving on the primary trade route from Anadyr to San Francisco via Anchorage. The ships would carry general cargo and crated raw materials Eastbound and bring home perishable goods and foodstuffs on the return leg.
Whilst not as notable to the public as the dedicated passenger liners of the period, it was to be these combination liners that soon took over to be the most dominant (and largest) vessels in the National Lines fleet.
She was novel in being the first motor ship in the Sieranian merchant fleet, a configuration chosen to provide increased efficiency for the long crossing at an average speed of 14 knots. After initial teething issues with her machinery were resolved, the Soglasie went on to serve a long career contributing to the lifeblood trade that sustained Sierans’ people and her economy. Her success saw the ordering for further, more impressive motor ships, augmenting and ultimately replacing steam ships entirely.