Founded in 1838 in Liverpool, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company was
the first to operate steamships in the Pacific and primarily traded from
the UK to the Pacific coasts of South America. Its most famous ships
included the Reina del Pacifico and the Reina del Mar. With a line of
notable firsts to its name, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company name
had disappeared by 1984, part of the rationalization of Furness Withy
Group. In 1990, Furness Withy itself was sold to Hamburg Sud, another
line which had operated on the South Atlantic and Pacific routes. Many
in Liverpool and in South and Central America, from Panama to Tierra del
Fuego have fond memories of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and
this history and fleet list will bring back memories of those vessels of
the line, both deep sea and coastal, which once operated on the South
American run.