Hong Hong’s Swire group is to scrap a veteran MPP in India. Its Swire Shipping unit said the 23,000-dwt Kweichow (built 1994) would be recycled sustainably next month “after years of reliable service.” The work will be carried out at a Class NK-certified and Hong Kong Convention-compliant facility in Alang. VesselsValue assesses the ship as worth $4.08m for both further trading and scrap. Swire has brought in Mandarin Shipping’s 1,756-teu…

French yacht maker Beneteau Group has joined domestic start-up Neoline’s project to build a sail-powered cargo vessel. It wants to use the ship to export its boats across the Atlantic, Neoline said. Magdeleine Allaume, purchasing and supply chain director of Beneteau Group, said: “The Beneteau Group exports nearly 80% of the boats built in Europe. A large part of these exports is to the United States. “The exceptional dimensions of…

Greek ferry giant Attica Group has turned to Denmark’s DFDS Seaways for a second-hand ro-ro vessel. Attica says it is paying EUR 12.05m ($13.46m) in cash for the 13,000-gt Anglia Seaways (built 2000). The Guangzhou Shipyard International-built vessel has a freight capacity of 1,680 lane meters or 120 unaccompanied freight trailers. It has a capacity for a mere 12 passengers. Attica has yet to disclose what plans it has for…

Greece’s Goulandris Bros is selling its oldest ship, an 18-year-old panamax. Beijing puts brakes on lucrative trade in ageing Greek bulkers The sale appears to be a renewal move for the bulker owner. European sources said the 74,000-dwt Rodon Amarandon (built 2001) has been sold to a Chinese buyer for $6.6m. Although bulker prices are under pressure, the price is $2m over scrap value. The Namura Shipbuilding-constructed vessel was on…

Japanese shipping company KN Maritime Co has now sold both of its trading ultramaxes to Greece’s Neptune Dry Management, a debutant in the segment. Neptune Dry makes second foray into bulkers TradeWinds reported in January that Melina Travlos-led Neptune Dry had purchased the 61,300-dwt ultramax Loch Nevis (built 2016) from KN Maritime, reportedly for $24.5m. It has been renamed ND Aristeia. Loch Ness confirmed Managers at Piraeus-based Neptune Dry have…

A Remi Maritime-managed supramax arrested by the National Bank of Greece over outstanding debt is scheduled to go under the hammer in the country next month. It is the latest in a string of moves by Greece’s ailing lenders to clean up their portfolios. The 57,000-dwt Blue Cat (built 2009) will be sold in an electronic auction on 5 June, according to a document posted last week on an official…

A core group of shipowners from just eight nations account for over 80% of tonnage sold during the past half a decade, according to data from Clarksons. Greek newbuilding spend spikes as LNG rush helps ease pressure on yards Tanker scrapping hits highest level in over 30 years The world’s largest shipbroker says over 7,000 vessels have changed hands since the start of 2014, a period which has seen a…

DryShips has added to its fleet with the purchase of a newcastlemax bulker from chief executive George Economou. Economou to invest $350m in exhaust gas scrubbers Nasdaq-listed DryShips will pay $50m for the 2017-built ship, it announced after the close of US markets on Friday. The vessel will transfer to DryShips with its existing lease financing in place, an agreement which includes a purchase obligation. Economou will charter the vessel…

Norwegian owner and contractor Subsea 7 has confirmed it has acquired a diving support vessel (DSV) from Greece’s bankrupt Toisa group. Brokers had reported the 131-loa Toisa Pegasus (built 2008) sold for $38.95m in January, Kristian Siem-backed Subsea 7 said the vessel has been renamed Seven Pegasus. The company logged new awards and escalations of $1.1bn in the first quarter, raising the order backlog to $5.2bn. The net loss edged…

Ship scrapping activity jumped in April helped by a depression in the capesize market and the first VLCC demolition deals of the year. Respected demolition broker Ed McIlvaney describes April as by far the most productive month of 2019 to date in terms of overall tonnage removed from the market. He counts a total of 81 vessels, boasting a combined 3.1 million heading for scrap last month. Foresight linked to…