Hong Kong shipowner Ed Buttery is not commenting on reports his Taylor Maritime has taken its fleet to 24 ships.
US shipbrokers said Taylor has bought another in a series of Japanese-built handysize bulkers, the Imabari Shipbuilding-constructed, 28,300-dwt Glorious Sentosa (built 2010).
The ship is said to have been purchased for an attractive $9.5m.
Seasure Shipbroking platform VesselsValue says the ship is worth $10.7m, while rival Maritime Strategies International puts an even higher $12.1m value on the vessel.
"I'm taking the Fifth on that," said Buttery, who has previously commented on reported ship purchases.
But he referred to the $9.5m figure as "an excellent price" for whoever may have paid it.
In April, he spent a reported $11.7m for the Kanda built 32,000-dwt Ellott Bay (built 2009).
Hong Kong-based Taylor bought its first ship in 2014 and now has a fleet of 19 vessels that are already trading for Taylor plus four more to be delivered.
Up to now, Taylor had already bought five handysizes this year and a full eight ships last year.
Buttery has previously said he is committed to expansion and does not rule out buying top quality Chinese built ships.
He is the son of Chris Buttery, co-founder of bulker owner Pacific Basin. The elder Buttery is now chairman of Taylor.
