German shipowner Henning Oldendorff has swooped for the final baby-cape in the fleet of compatriot Thomas Schulte, brokers said.
Oldendorff has been building his presence in the niche during the past couple of years, heading a resurgence in the market.
The latest ship to join the Oldendorff baby-cape stable is the 115,300-dwt Evelyn Schulte (built 2012), sources said.
Oldendorff is said to be paying around $15.5m for the Chinese-built ship, which was the largest of three bulkers in the Thomas Schulte fleet.
The German bulker giant has amassed around 40 baby-capes, a ship-type which had appeared to be dying out before an upturn in interest during the past couple of years.
His last notable purchase in the space came in April last year via a four-vessel acquisition with Interorient Navigation alongside the time charter of two additional ships.
Oldendorff Carriers moved into the capesize market in 2006 and today has an annual turnover of $5bn and an operated fleet of around 700 vessels.
The company is a key player in sale and purchase and reports suggest it has resumed acquisitions after a quiet start to 2019.
Brokers have also linked the company to the addition of the 93,000-dwt Royal Maybach and Ocean Ruby (both built 2010) in June.
Data from VesselsValue shows Oldendorff to have sold five vessels this year, most of which were built around or before 2000.
