George Economou has attained a healthy price for a 18-year-old panamax bulker to a buyer said to be based in Shanghai as he continues his fleet renewal efforts.
UK shipbrokers say the 74,000-dwt Topeka (built 2000) was sold by Economou's private company TMS Dry for $9m, although some suggest that the unusually strong offer may still be on subjects as further inspections are scheduled.
The Hudong-built ship is due for dry-docking next month.
TradeWinds is told that several potential Chinese shipowners were interested in the ship, but the winning buyer jumped ahead with the unusually strong offer, inspecting the vessel before it had discharged.
The Topeka was still at anchor awaiting a berth at Guangzhou's Nansha port with 40,000 tonnes of cargo at TradeWinds' deadline.
Athens-based TMS was not available for comment and port agents said they had been instructed not to identify parties inspecting the ship.
VesselsValue estimates the Topeka is worth just $7.1m.
TMS bought the ship as the Gianfranca D’Amato from D’Amato di Navigazione for $46.5m in March 2007, with a 38-month to 45-month charter back to the seller at $21,656 per day.
Economou, who was the top Greek buyer in the S&P market last year, has recently been mostly active as a seller.
His listed outfit DryShips last week confirmed it had shed the Jiangnan-built, 73,000-dwt Ecola (built 2001). This ship went to an undisclosed, unaffiliated buyer for $8.5m.
Market sources say both the Ecola and Topeka went to Chinese buyers, which would not be unusual for Economou. Three out of five bulkers he has previously sold to unaffiliated parties over the past two years have gone to Chinese players.
