SS Statendam was a transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in Ireland in 1898 for Holland America Line (Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij, or NASM).

[4] Statendam had twin screws, each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine.

The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 1,126 NHP[3] or 6,700 ihp, and gave her a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).

In March 1904 she developed a boiler problem about 190 nautical miles (350 km) off the Isles of Scilly in the Celtic Sea.

[5] Allen Line bought the ship on 27 November 1910,[2] renamed her Scotian, and in 1911 registered her in Glasgow.

[8] In March 1911, Scotian started sailing between Glasgow and Portland, Maine, via Halifax, Nova Scotia.

[9] In January 1914 Canadian Pacific chartered her for one round trip between Liverpool and Saint John, New Brunswick.

On her return voyage, she carried part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to the UK.

[5] At midnight on 13 September 1916 Scotian was in Glasgow when the armed merchant cruiser HMS Mantua "touched her stem" when being warped across the dock.

Between 1920 and 1921 the UK Government chartered Marglen for four voyages to Bombay as a troop ship.

On 15 May 1923 she began her final transatlantic voyage, which was from London to Montreal via Le Havre, Southampton and Quebec.