George Chatzis-led Newport is being linked to the purchase of a second kamsarmax this year, swooping on a nine-year-old vessel sold by EBE Maritime.

Brokers and shipowning sources in the UK and Greece said Piraeus-based Newport has agreed to acquire EBE’s 82,200-dwt Bacco (built 2011) for about $15.4m.

The Tsuneishi Zosen-built vessel is scheduled to undergo special survey at the end of next year. It is the oldest unit in the six-ship fleet of Basile Aloy-led EBE, which also owns four ultramaxes and one capesize bulker.

If a deal is confirmed, it would be the first time that EBE has stepped into the secondhand market as a seller. Aloy, a scion of the Saverys family, launched EBE in 2016, when dry bulk shipping markets were in a multi-year trough.

Since then, EBE has been on the buying side only. The Bacco was its fourth purchase, which it is said to have acquired in 2017 for about $19m.

EBE is a fan of Japanese-built tonnage, in line with a long-held view within the Saverys family that the country’s yards produce the best-quality ships.

Newport shares the enthusiasm for Japanese-built tonnage. All 14 ships listed with the company, or with affiliate Grehel Shipmanagement, come from Japanese yards.

Newport has been on a slow but steady expansion drive since late 2017, acquiring eight ships on the secondhand market since then, excluding the Bacco.

Newport was established in 2004 and its initial buying focus was on handysizes. The market crisis of 2016 served as an entry point into bigger bulkers for the company, and it has acquired five panamaxes and kamsarmaxes since.

Several other Greek companies bought kamsarmaxes recently, as TradeWinds has reported. The countries' shipowners acquired 12 of the 19 bulkers, mostly kamsarmaxes, that Scorpio Bulkers has offloaded so far this year.

According to brokers, more kamsarmaxes and panamaxes are heading for Greek ownership.

Transocean Maritime’s 77,300-dwt Apollo (built 2006) is said to be changing hands for $9.3m.

Unidentified Greeks are believed to be picking up the Japanese-held 77,200-dwt Crimson Monarch (built 2014) for about $17.5m, while the 82,200-dwt Pacific Kindness (built 2011) has swapped ownership for about $15m.