The exuberant containership market saw what is possibly a record-breaking charter deal on Wednesday, with US-listed owner Euroseas revealing that one of its vessels is set to earn about $200,000 per day towards the end of the year.
An unnamed charterer agreed to pay at least $195,000 to secure the services of the 4,250-teu Synergy Oakland (built 2009) for between 60 and 85 days, starting in mid-October.
The rate will rise even further to $202,000 per day if the vessel is delivered to the charterer in a different location, the company said without providing further details.
“This is the highest time charter rate ever achieved by any vessel in our fleet and one of the highest rates ever achieved in our industry,” Euroseas chairman and chief executive Aristides Pittas said in a statement.
This single deal will boost Euroseas’ coffers by between $12m and $17m in just two to three months, according to company estimates.
Euroseas said it is “well-positioned” to take advantage of such sky-high rates, considering that five of its ships, accounting for a third of its fleet, are to renew their charters over the next six months.
In July, the 5,042-teu CSL Santa Maria (built 2005) was reported fixed for a short period at a rate approaching $160,000 per day.
If confirmed, that would be the highest charter rate ever agreed on a container vessel fixture, analysts at Alphaliner said at the time.
The charter market has risen as well, with panamaxes now just shy of $100,000 per day for 12-month charters, according to Fearnley Securities.
"There continue to be several extreme short-term charters concluded and the duration on these deals continue to lengthen," analysts Peder Nicolai Jarlsby, Erik Gabriel Hovi and Ulrik Mannhart said.
They expect this market to hold up into 2022, with the potential for further extensions through extended supply disruptions.
