Safe Bulkers has sold a vintage kamsarmax bulker as it continues to take in new and younger ships in the face of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new environmental regulations.
The Polys Hajioannou-led owner of 43 bulkers has offloaded the 82,300-dwt Pedhoulas Trader (built 2006) for $15.8m to an undisclosed buyer that is expected to take delivery of the vessel in December.
The ship has a market value of $15.3m, according to VesselsValue.
“We continued to sell older tonnage as we take delivery of our newbuild IMO IniterPhase 3 vessels, improving the fleet environmental performance and increasing our competitiveness in the new more stringent regulatory environment,” president Dr Loukas Barmparis said in a statement.
New York-listed Safe Bulkers in July took delivery of 87,300-dwt post-panamax newbuilding Climate Respect from Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding, the second of 11 IMO Phase 3 newbuildings.
Safe Bulkers took delivery of its first Phase 3 ship, the 82,000-dwt Vassos, in May and sold it in a 10-year leaseback deal to an undisclosed buyer.
The nine other newbuildings are six panamaxes and three kamsamaxes to be delivered by the end of 2025.
Safe Bulkers also acquired two secondhand vessels during the second quarter, as previously reported in TradeWinds.
In May, it bought a 176,300-dwt, 2012-built capesize built by China’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding for $31.8m from an undisclosed seller. The ship, which was renamed Aghia Sofia, was delivered in August.
In April, Safe Bulkers acquired the 180,400-dwt Michalis H (built 2012) for $30m from an unnamed seller. It was delivered in May.
As a result of the aforementioned transactions, the owner will have 12 panamaxes, eight kamsarmaxes, 15 post-panamaxes and seven capesizes with another nine ships on order as of the end of 2022.
