The constant fall of sale prices for second hand vessels, week in week out, has kept buying interest in high levels at the start of the new year, with demand solid both for dry bulk carriers, as well as tankers. According to the latest weekly report from Lion Shipbrokers, in the dry bulk segment, there were the following reported sales: "Late nineties cape CRYSTAL STAR (178K BLT 1998 DAEWOO/S. KOREA) has changed hands within China for $11.5 mill basis special & dry-docking surveys due. Greek buyers have bought from the Japanese market, panamax unit BRAVE STAR (74K BLT 2000 TSUNEISHI/JAPAN) for $10.5 mill. Vintage panamax EVERAIM (68.5K BLT 1994 SASEBO/JAPAN) changed hands within South Korea for $6 mill. Dalian Tiger’s supramax sisters CHRISTINE STAR & HARMONY STAR (56.8K BLT 2011 COSCO DALIAN/CHINA CR 4X36T) were snapped by Greek buyers for the “bargain” price of $17 mill each. Early nineties handy unit DINA (28.5K BLT 1992 IMABARI/JAPAN CR 4X30.5T LDT 5996) is committed to Turkish interests for $4.1-$4.15 mill basis prompt delivery in Ghana, West Africa. Semi box-holds handy C.S. VICTORY (32K BLT 2003 KAND/JAPAN 5HO/5HA NO GRABS-NOT LOG FITTED) is sold to Russian buyers for excess $10 mill basis special & dry-docking surveys just passed. NYK have committed their smalerl handy GLOBAL PRESTIGE (24K BLT 1998 SAIKI/JAPAN CR 4X30T) to undisclosed buyers for $5.5 mill basis special & dry-docking surveys due this month" Lion said.
Similarly in the dry bulk segment, Golden Destiny said that "interesting deal was the enbloc resale of four very large ore capesizes built South Korea to Norwegian or Far East buyers for about $53,5mil each. In the tanker segment, there has been an appetite for aframax crude carriers with investors not loosing their appetite also for MR product tankers. In the container segment, there has been an enbloc deal for two small panamax containerships of about 4,600 TEU blt 2010 South Korea for about $45mil each including charter deal".
In the tanker market, Lion noted "Hyundai’s vintage VLCC unit UNIVERSAL HOPE (299K BLT 1993 ODENSE/DENMARK) which attracted $21 mill by undisclosed further trading buyers. Centerline bulkhead aframax sisters VALLOMBROSSA & VALBRUNA (113.5K BLT 2000 SAMSUNG/S. KOREA EPOXY COATED CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS) went to undisclosed interests for $30 mill en bloc. Clients of Bakri Navigation have purchased aframax FORWARD PIONEER (107K BLT 2005 KOYO/JAPAN) for $20.3 mill. In an off market deal, late nineties aframax NASSAU SPIRIT (107K BLT 1998 KOYO/JAPAN) was committed to clients of Kondinave of Greece for $9.3 mill. Greek controlled vintage aframax ATHINA M (96K BLT 1995 SAMSUNG/S. KOREA) was acquired by Middle Eastern buyers for $8.5 mill. Late nineties MR product unit AS OCEANIA (43K BLT 1999 DALIAN/CHINA, DOUBLE HULL, 4 GRADES, EPOXY, COILED) went to undisclosed interests for $10 mill. Stainless steel chemical sisters SYNNOVE KNUTSEN & ELLEN KNUTSEN (17K BLT 1992/1991 SPAIN 1670T ST.STEEL) were sold to Middle Eastern buyers for $8.9 mill en bloc. Smaller stainless steel unit CLIPPER TRINIDAD (8.8K BLT 1998 HITACHI/JAPAN ALL SUS 304) went to Far Eastern buyers for $5-$5.5 mill level" Lion concluded.
According to Golden Destiny, overall in the past week, "30 vessels were reported to have changed hands at a total invested capital in the region of US$ 586,3 mil with tankers holding the lion share by grasping 53% of the S&P activity and bulk carriers 40% share. In terms of the reported number of transactions, the S&P activity is up by 173% from last week’s activity, due to a 200% weekly increase in the purchase of bulk carriers and 700% increase in tanker purchases. Comparable with previous year’s weekly S&P activity is almost at similar levels, when 29 vessels induced buyers’ interest at a total invested capital of about $451,6 mil with bulk carriers holding the lion share, 41% of the total volume of S&P activity and tankers 24%. In terms of invested capital, the dry bulk sector appears as the most overweight segment by attracting about 51% of the total amount of money invested with the purchase of 12 vessels and tankers to follow with 34% share for 16 vessel purchases" the shipbroker concluded.