# Sealand Performance begins her last voyage from Loch Striven



## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

http://forargyll.com/2010/05/sealand-performance-leaves-loch-striven/

The Sealand Performance, one of the largest class of container ships in the world when originally built, leaves lay-up in Argyle on her last voyage. At 4,400 TEU capacity, the twelve ships of this class were the largest and most advanced in the world when built in 1985. Today they're considered small, obsolete rust-buckets, and the people of Scotland are happy to see the last of them.


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

An excellent account. (Applause)
Thanks for pointing us towards it *Klaatu83*. (Thumb)


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## mrcanoehead (Sep 15, 2007)

imagine that! US LINES ill fated venture into Korean shipbuilding, This is the final result of ships built way to big to suit their proplulsion plant. problems, problems.


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## paull.happyhiker (Mar 16, 2009)

At least they got some revenue from the bbc. Just for those who have read the article and seen the piece about them being in a bbc kids show its called mission 2110 my daughters love it. The final show is on bank holiday monday 17:45 cbbc channel. The ships do feature quite a lot in it. I only watch it because my girls love it (honestly!!!)


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

mrcanoehead said:


> imagine that! US LINES ill fated venture into Korean shipbuilding, This is the final result of ships built way to big to suit their proplulsion plant. problems, problems.


Actually, these huge ships were pretty successful and were in commercial service for 25 years. They were not built for speed but for economy and, because they were originally intended for a round-the-world service, they were specifically designed to carry the maximum number of containers possible while still being able to fit through the Panama Canal. Known as the "Atlantic Class", these big ships became the mainstay of Sealand's Atlantic and Mediterranean services for many years, while the smaller and faster D9J-class ships handled the company's Pacific routes. Their predecessors, the huge SL7s which could make 33 knots, came out just at the time when oil prices mushroomed in the early 70s. Consequently they never made money, and were eventually sold to the government for conversion into fast Ro-Ro military supply ships. On the other hand, the Performance and her sisterships were designed to operate in the post-oil crisis world and always made money.


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## Jim Sutton (Jul 28, 2007)

Sealand took lemons and made lemonade. They kept money in my pocket for a few years.


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

A 25 year service life for these ships is a lot better than many other container companies managed. Pity to see the end of this class, but progress waits only for the next high tide.


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