Zodiac Maritime has caught the market on the front foot with the sale of a newcastlemax bulker, as secondhand deals continue to surface across multiple shipping segments.
Brokers say the Eyal Ofer-controlled owner has sold the Cape Merlin to Chinese buyers for about $23.5m. The 206,000 dwt, 2005-built vessel was constructed at Imabari Shipbuilding. The price marks an improvement on last month’s sale of sister ship Seacon Africa, a 2006 Imabari-built unit that fetched $22.7m in a deal between two Chinese interests.
Fleet data shows Zodiac has been steadily trimming its exposure to larger bulkers, with four sales logged in as many months. Market sources link the disposals to capital being freed up to support a sizeable newbuilding programme.
Elsewhere in dry bulk, Chinese buyers have also picked up the Cape Puffin, an 18-year-old, 177,000 dwt capesize built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao. The price has not been disclosed. The vessel has been renamed ES Glory Sea and is now listed under Dong Zhan Shipping.
Activity has not been limited to bulkers. In the gas sector, the Hampshire, an 18-year-old VLGC with 80,126 cu m capacity built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, is reported sold for around $57m. The ship has been renamed Seabus and is now registered to Hong Kong-based Pasc Shipping.
The container market has also seen movement, with the 12-year-old post-panamax MSC Alghero changing hands. The 8,772 teu vessel, built at Sungdong Shipbuilding, was sold for an undisclosed price. VesselValue puts its market value at about $91.2m. The ship has been renamed Emerald Tower, with the buyer registered as Hatwen Shipping in Liberia.
Rounding out the deals, Vietnam’s Hai Phuong has bought the Eastgate, a 15-year-old, 33,200 dwt open-hatch bulker built by Kanda Shipbuilding. The vessel has been renamed HPC Phoenix, highlighting the continued Southeast Asian appetite for flexible midsize tonnage.
Together, the transactions underline steady secondhand appetite, even as owners selectively reshuffle fleets and recycle capital.
