Chinese near-sea liner operator and owner StarOcean Marine has diversified into dry bulk, buying nine bulkers and chartering three kamsarmaxes in the past six months.
Sources said the Dalian-based company, also known as Ruiyang Shipping, had been buoyed by the boom in the containership market and was drawn to dry bulk by the surging demand.
They said it has set up a new company — Grampus Marine — to operate and manage its dry business.
Officials at StarOcean and Grampus were not available for comment.
Sources said StarOcean's secondhand haul comprised three handysizes, one 58,000-dwt bulker, a kamsarmax and four vessels of less than 17,500 dwt.
"The ships of less than 17,500 dwt were bought before August, while the larger bulkers were acquired in the last two months," one source said.
StarOcean bought two of the vessels — the 12,500-dwt sisterships Zhida 2 (ex-CSC Rui Hai) and Zhida 3 (ex-CSC Xin Hai, both built 2012) — from China Merchants Energy Shipping for $6.3m each. The purchase price of the other seven bulkers is not known.
Sources said StarOcean has taken delivery of five ships so far — the 34,400-dwt Xing Ning Hai (built 2015), 12,000-dwt Zhida 1 (ex-Noble SW, built 2003), 17,200-dwt Timu (built 2005) and Zhida 2 and Zhida 3.
Grampus has also fixed three kamsarmaxes for one year each at between $30,000 and $31,000 per day. It was said to have time-chartered one bulker from SDTR Marine of Singapore and taken Santoku Senpaku's 81,900-dwt Red Lily (built 2017).
The name of the third kamsarmax is not known.
Grampus' team of seven staff have more than 10 years of experience each operating vessels from handysize to panamax.
StarOcean operates more than 30 feeder containerships. Sources said it works closely with a Japanese shipowning company to operate a feeder trade between Japan and China.
StarOcean has also invested in newbuildings.
It was reported to have ordered 16 ships worth $410m this year: two 1,100-teu boxships at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding; four firm 1,800-teu vessels at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, with options for four more; and six 2,400-teu ships at Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard.
