In 1950, Frank L. Fraser founded the Eastern Shipping Corporation. In May 1954 he purchased two ships from Eastern Steamship Lines, SS Yarmouth and SS Evangeline.
The SS Yarmouth was transferred to a Panamanian registry where she was renamed SS Yarmouth Castle and then the SS Queen of Nassau. The Evangeline was transferred to a Liberian registry and retained her name, although in 1955 she was to be rechristened as SS Nassau Monarch.
By 1957 the SS Queen of Nassau reverted back to SS Yarmouth Castle, and by 1958, back to SS Yarmouth. The SS Bahamas Star joined the fleet in 1959, and the SS Ariadne in November 1960.
During this period, Fraser brought in as a partner William R Lovett of Jacksonville, who owned the Winn-Dixie supermarket chain, and to whom Fraser had been shipping bananas for many years. Lovett had shipping interests of his own and in May 1961, Fraser sold out to Lovett, who renamed the company Eastern Steamship Corporation.
Fleet
- Ariadne
- Bahama Star
- Evangeline
- Queen of Nassau
- Yarmouth
- Yarmouth Castle
References
- CRW Flags
- Eastern Shipping Corp
- House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies: E
- Shipbuilders Council of America Annual Report 1955
- Ships and the Sea Volumes 4-6 1954
- Timetable Images
- Wikipedia: Eastern Steamship Line (1965)
- Yarmouth History