Low-profile Greek bulker specialist Seastar Chartering has emerged as the buyer of a Japanese-built ultramax reported sold last week.
A company official confirmed to TradeWinds that the Athens-based company acquired the 61,400-dwt Eternal Hakata (built 2014).
Market sources had initially told TradeWinds that the vessel was acquired by US-listed Costamare. That information, however, turned out to be inaccurate.
The Eternal Hakata previously belonged to Japan’s Shikishima Kisen, which is believed to have sold it for $24.75m.
When it joins Seastar Chartering, the Imabari-built vessel will increase the company’s fleet to 10 bulkers and become its sole ultramax.
It is not the first, however. Several shipping databanks show that Seastar Chartering managed ultramaxes until a few years ago.
According to its LinkedIn page, Seastar Chartering was established in 1974 and specialises in bulk carriers of various sizes, “with great experience in operations at Canadian waters and the Great Lakes”.
The Eternal Hakata will become one of the youngest vessels in its fleet. The company is listed with nine bulkers built between 2007 and 2015.
Its fleet mostly consists of supramaxes but it also includes one handy, one panamax and a kamsarmax.
Seastar Chartering is not a frequent buyer in the secondhand market. The company’s previous acquisition took place in April 2023, when it was said to have spent about $28.2m on the 81,900-dwt Valiant Spring (renamed Vela, built 2015).
As for Shikishima Kisen, the Eternal Hakata is not the only bulker it has offloaded this year to Greek players.
In April, the Japanese company was widely reported to have sold to undisclosed Hellenic interests the 81,800-dwt kamsarmax Scarlet Island (built 2014) for about $29m.
Two months later, the ship indeed emerged with Athens-based Caliber Maritime and is now trading as the WF Filippos.
