Norwegian dry bulk owner and operator Belships has decided to replace the vessel currently employed on a time charter contract with a Canadian potash exporter Canpotex.
Namely, the company’s 2011-built 58,018 dwt Supramax bulker M/S Belocean will be substituted by the newbuilding 61,000 dwt Ultramax bulk carrier M/S Belisland.
M/S Belocean is expected to end its contract around February 25, and will subsequently start working for the Swiss company Cargill for ten to fifteen months at an average net rate of USD 3,750 per day.
The new vessel will be chartered at a net rate of USD 17,300 per day with effect from time of delivery around March 15 until the expiry of the remaining 5 year period.
Belships recently said that it inked a sale and lease back agreement for M/S Belisland, currently under construction at Imabari Shipbuilding in Japan.
The deal was signed with a Japanese company for a period of 15 years with purchase options from year five.
The company added that the contract price for the vessel was USD 28.25 million.
Belships has one more 63,000 dwt vessel under construction at Imabari, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2017.