In 1977 Olau attempted to start a service from Sheerness to Dunkirk, France, but this was not successful. By the end of the 1970s the company was in heavy debt, and in 1979 Ole Lauritzen was forced to sell 50% of Olau Line to the West Germany-based TT-Line. The following year Lauritzen sold his remaining shares of the company to TT-Line.
Olau Line's attempt to launch a service from Sheerness to Dunkirk, France in 1977 ended in failure. By the late 1970s, the company was deeply financially troubled and by 1979, Ole Lauritzen was forced to sell half of Olau Line to TT-Line, a German shipping company. The following year, Lauritzen sold his remaining shares to TT-Line.