Sea Containers Ltd (SeaCo)

Overview

Sea Containers Ltd. was a Bermuda-registered company which operated two main business areas: passenger transport and container leasing. James Sherwood founded Sea Containers in 1965. Over 40 years, Sherwood expanded Sea Containers from a supplier of leased cargo containers, into various shipping companies, as well as expanding the company into luxury hotels and railway trains, including the world famous Venice-Simplon Orient Express. In July 1984 Sealink was acquired from the UK Government, being renamed Sealink British Ferries. In June 1986 Hoverspeed was acquired for £5 million. In 1990 following a hostile takeover bid Sea Containers sold Sealink British Ferries to Stena LineLater the same year Sea Containers took delivery of the first of five new ‘Seacat’ ferries from the Tasmanian ship builder International Catamarans (Incat). These revolutionary vessels were the first car carrying catamarans and Sea Containers planned to radically change the ferry market. The first vessel was christened the Hoverspeed Great Britain and during her delivery voyage from Australia to the United Kingdom she challenged for the Hales Trophy (North Atlantic Blue Riband) for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a passenger vessel. She established a new speed record for a commercial vessel on her eastbound delivery voyage, completing the voyage in 3 days, 7 hours and 54 minutes. —- Under Construction.

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