MPC Container Ships is continuing to offload vessels amid worsening prospects for the feeder market.
The Oslo-listed tonnage provider is selling three German-built vessels for an en-bloc price of $21.7m, according to broking sources.
The 1,221-teu AS Flora (built 2005) and 1,440-teu AS Roberta (built 2006) and AS Rafaela (built 2007) have been sold to Arkas Holding, a powerhouse in the short-haul container ship business in the Mediterranean.
The Turkish carrier, which operates several German-built ships of the same design, confirmed to TradeWinds that it expected to add the three boxships to its fleet next month.
The sale of the three Peene-Werft-built vessels lifts the tally of boxships sold by MPC Container in the past three months to at least seven.
Hamburg-based MPC Container acquired the trio from Dubai’s Simatech Shipping & Forwarding in 2018.
While it has replaced older vessels with more modern secondhand ships and newbuildings, the focus has been as a seller of older, secondhand tonnage in recent months.
Last month, MPC Container reportedly raised $7m from the sale of the 1,495-teu AS Romina (built 2009) to perennial boxship buyer MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
A sister vessel — the AS Rosalia (built 2009) — was sold to Greece’s Contships Management for an undisclosed price.
Redeliveries
The sales come as MPC Container faces the redelivery of vessels fixed at the charter market’s peak.
These ships face a sinking market with more fixtures done at lower rates for shorter periods.
For example, the 3,739-teu Irenes Resolve (built 2001) was taken last week by German liner giant Hapag-Lloyd for just 20 to 40 days at $16,500 per day.
Brokers described the market as awash with relet possibilities, including larger vessels, with Taiwanese operator Yang Ming Marine Transport subletting a 12,000-teu ship.
The unnamed vessel is understood to have been fixed with Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk for 12 months at about $57,000 per day.
Buyers emerge
There are signs that some buyers see the plunging market as a buying opportunity.
Recent weeks have linked Greek buyers to the acquisition of the 1,781-teu A Kobe (built 2023).
The vessel was reportedly acquired from Chinese owner Goto Shipping, known as StarOcean Maritime, for around $25m.
Reports naming the buyer as Conbulk Shipmanagement are incorrect, although the Greek company is emerging as one of the more active players in the sale-and-purchase market.
Brokers have linked Conbulk to three vessels sold by UK-based Lomar Shipping two months ago, including the 5,042 teu OOCL St Lawrence (built 2005).
Conbulk and US interests are also said to be linked to the purchase of the 3,200-teu Velika Express and Mirador Express (both built 2002).
Those vessels are being sold by Lomar with a time charter to Hapag-Lloyd at $14,000 per day until September 2024, plus a one-year extension as an option for the charterer.
A fourth Lomar vessel — the 1,118-teu Hamburg Trader (built 2005) — was also reported sold last month to unnamed buyers for around $6m.
