Norway's Vincent Shipping is boosting its fleet by taking four modern bulkers on long-term charter.
The deals for the ships, which are owned by Japan's Nisshin Shipping, include purchase options.
Brokers said the Oslo-based bulker owner fixed the ships in off-market deals.
Vincent Shipping was set up in 2016, originally targeting the supramax segment, where it owns three vessels.
TradeWinds understands that the Nisshin ships include three kamsarmaxes: the 81,000-dwt Vincent Trader (built 2019), and Vincent Talisman and Vincent Triton (both built 2020).
The fourth vessel has not been identified.
According to the Vincent Shipping website, the company has already taken over the Vincent Trader.
Chief executive Jan Lund confirmed to Norwegian financial daily newspaper Finansavisen that the fleet has increased from three to seven ships.
He said the company believes in a strong bulker market going forward.
Vincent Shipping’s supramaxes each earned on average $11,000 per day last year.
The company is also looking for asset-play opportunities.
In its last sale-and-purchase deal in December 2019, Vincent Shipping sold the 56,000-dwt bulker Vincent Gemma (built 2010) to China’s Nanjing King Ship Management for $9.8m. Today, the vessel is likely worth about $2m less.
Vincent Shipping was set up by Lund, a Fearnleys veteran, with former Torm chief executive Klaus Kjaerulff and Jan Bech Andersen, who had been head of shipping at trader Glencore.
Vincent Shipping is located at Bergehus, the former headquarters of Bergesen DY.
