[4] After Curtis' death in 1933, the yacht was purchased by Pan American Airways, converted to a floating hotel for use in the south Pacific and renamed Southern Seas in a shuttle service from Nouméa to Australia.

Lyndonia was named "Yacht of the Year" in the May 1920 issue of The Rudder and described as the largest and most completely fitted vessel of the kind since World War I had put a stop to such construction.

Southern Seas"; Bill of Sale from Mrs. Curtis (wife of owner of The Saturday Evening Post) to Pan American Airways, Inc."[10] Pan American Airways acquired the ship and made modifications for use as a "hotel" ship and surface link for its Clipper service based in Nouméa to Australia before it acquired landing rights in Australia.

[14] The war in Europe was intruding with the German raider Orion having sunk ships and been active off New Caledonia in mid-August 1940 and even flying a reconnaissance aircraft over Nouméa that observed pro-de Gaulle and anti-Vichy crowds in public areas.

[16] The tense political situation contributing to these decisions is noted in a report of Mr. Vanderbilt's description of Nouméa with crowds demonstrating in favor of General de Gaulle under the guns of a Vichy warship, the Dumont d'Urville.

[17][15] By mid September 1940 agreement had been reached on sharing routes, part of Pacific defense plans reached at a Wellington, New Zealand conference, resulted in plans for the ship's surface shuttle being replaced by its use as a floating transit hotel in Nouméa's harbor while the wartime political situation on the French island was resolved with the September 19 arrival of de Gaulle's representative Henri Sautot backed by HMAS Adelaide.

[18][15] By May 1941, the ship was described, in contrast to a somewhat shabby but free Nouméa, as lying a half-mile out in the harbor, a "dazzling white motor yacht" the "embodiment of smartness and comfort" with American officers and drink stewards, Melanesian deck hands and Japanese waiters that make passengers feel like millionaires at least for a night.

[19] The political situation's resolution in Nouméa resulted in the ship and routes being under Free vice Vichy French control of the Pan American air link until U.S. entry into the war.

Southern Seas was purchased from Pan American Airways Inc. by the U.S. Army District Engineer (Hawaii) for the sum of one dollar while settlement was reached on value of the ship.

The ship had been recommended for use as a transport supporting U.S. Army construction of South Pacific air ferry route airfields by Leif J. Sverdrup with some work surveying islands for suitable field locations.

[10][21] The Southern Seas was being used in February 1942 for accommodating airbase construction personnel in Nouméa harbor with a meeting aboard described by Captain Norman Miller in I Took The Sky Road between himself, a Lt.

Colonel Rich and 'Jack' Sverdrup, in charge of constructing airfields on a number of the islands, during a stop in Nouméa harbor on the return flight of XPBS-1 from Java:[23] The luxury of the Southern Seas was a far cry from the cramped quarters of the old XPBS, and I remained aboard over night, reveling in comforts previously enjoyed by Pan Am's customers.

[10][24] After the collision, the United States Navy salvaged Southern Seas and towed her from New Caledonia to New Zealand, where she was docked while the holes in the hull were patched and repairs were made on the main engines.