SoCal meets next on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 1 p.m. (Pacific) aboard Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.
Join us as Captain Richard Abele, USN, Retired, presents "The USS Iowa: The Battleship of Presidents."
As a volunteer on the Iowa, Captain Abele is actively involved in offering tours, caring for the ship's signal flags, conducting training classes, supporting fundraising initiatives, and photographing events aboard the ship. He is a passionate enthusiast of WWII naval history, and enjoys international travel.
We'll be in the Boardroom, located amidships on the Promenade Deck. Light beverages will be available.
SoCal Members get a Zoom link if they can't attend in person.
Not a member? Join today at the link up top!
The UNITED STATES against the NYC skyline. It doesn't look better than that.
The LEILANI with a Golden Gate backdrop.
In this rendering, the QUEEN MARY cartoonishly dwarfs all other craft.
The UNITED STATES against the NYC skyline. It doesn't look better than that.
Future meeting dates 2026: August 1, November 7.
SoCal is the largest, and most active, chapter of the Steamship Historical Society of America (SSHSA); the premier organization for all engine-powered ships.
If you are a ship history buff, maritime collector, or artist, former or current ship crew member, historian, Navy veteran, or maritime academy alum, or maybe a scuba diver looking to learn more about your latest underwater discovery, SSHSA-SoCal is the place for you!
SoCal members meet up four times a year -- first Saturday of February, May, August, and November -- aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. (Sometimes, in lieu of the Mary, we do a field trip.)
Our November gathering coincides with our annual membership meeting, where directors are elected to the SoCal Chapter Board.
If you have a topic you'd like to present to our membership, we'd love to hear it!
American President's PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT entered service in 1962.
A nice aerial shot of Honolulu, taken sometime in the 1930s.
The WASHINGTON EXPRESS primarily hauled fruit from the Pacific Coast to Northern Europe.
American President's PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT entered service in 1962.
The Ocean Times, SoCal's e-journal, is published quarterly -- January, April, July, and October -- for the benefit of our members.
The OT offers a variety of West Coast and Pacific Ocean-related* maritime topics authored by SoCal Chapter Members and others.
*Ok, we're not total snobs; we do allow the occasional transatlantic liner. After all, we do meet on the Queen Mary.
For news that can't wait, we send out the OT News.
If you have a topic that may be of interest to our membership, please drop the editor a line.
Click the cover for your complimentary copy of the Ocean Times!
Our mailing address:
SSHSA - Southern California Chapter
65 Pine Ave
Box 349
Long Beach, CA 90802