In late 1937 the ship together with several other vessels was bid on and subsequently acquired next year by the Greek tramp operator John D. Chandris to carry cargo from Australia to Greece and United Kingdom.

[2][3] Due to the ship being the first vessel launched by a newly established yard, there was a large crowd in attendance consisting of common folk and local dignitaries.

[10][11] Soon after she was reallocated to Barber Line and proceeded to Savannah where she loaded 6,085 bales of cotton in addition to other cargo and departed for Liverpool and Glasgow on August 22.

[12][13] Cokesit returned to Newport News from her European trip on November 14 and from there proceeded to Tampa on December 15 to load a full cargo of phosphate rock for delivery to Denmark.

[14] The freighter made one more voyage for Barber Line in May 1920 carrying a mixed cargo of cotton and phosphates to Le Havre and Ghent and returning to Newport News on July 8.

In December 1921 Cokesit was allocated to Lykes Brothers to serve on their trade route from Galveston to French and German ports and departed Savannah on 6 January 1922 bound for New Orleans.

[18] Upon her return from Europe in June 1922 Cokesit was assigned to the United States & Australia Line to operate between New York and Australian, New Zealand and other Oriental ports.

The freighter then visited several ports in Australia unloading her cargo and sailed from Newcastle in ballast on November 6 bound for the Philippines and China.

After loading approximately 6,500 tons of general cargo largely consisting of sugar at Cebu, Pulupandan, Manila and Shanghai the freighter arrived at Boston via Comox and Panama Canal on 4 March 1923 and from there proceeded to New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore to unload the freight.

[26] The ship made only one trip in this capacity leaving New York in November 1926 and returning to Boston on 1 April 1927 with a large cargo of wool, hides and cocoa.

These steamers, Arcturus, Cokesit, Oakspring and Rockport, were cleared by the Maritime Commission for sale to a foreign entity and were acquired by the Greek firm for US$367,536 the same month.

Early in 1939 the freighter was chartered for one trip to Australia and New Zealand and departed from Sfax with a cargo of Gafsa phosphates on 11 February 1939 bound for Auckland and New Plymouth.

[29] After unloading her cargo in New Zealand the ship continued on to Sydney where she took on board 8,602 tons of wheat and left on 3 June 1939 bound for United Kingdom and Greece.

While in British Columbia Adelfoi Chandris loaded approximately 8,000 tons of lead and lumber and departed New Westminster on 19 February 1940, passed through the Panama Canal on March 3 and arrived in Halifax in mid-March.