Ships Monthly – August 2018

16 •^ Summer 2018^ •^ http://www.shipsmonthly.com

STAR BULK ACQUIRE BULKERS

FLEET CHANGES

Athens-headquartered Star Bulk

Carriers has signed purchase

agreements for 34 vessels over

the past few months as it moves

towards the forefront of the dry

bulk sector. It is acquiring 16 ships

from various entities affi liated with

Augustea Atlantica SpA and York

Capital Management, including

fi ve Newcastlemaxes/Capesize

vessels, two Mini Capesize, eight

Post Panamax/Kamsarmax and

one Ultramax.

In addition, it has entered into

defi nitive agreements to acquire

another 15 bulkers from Songa

Bulk and three newbuilds from

Oceanbulk Container Carriers.

The latter ships are still under

construction in China and are

due to be delivered next year as

Newcastlemax-sized units. JS

NEW PROP

BULK CARRIER

On 12 May the 75,603dwt bulker
Nordic Orion, built in Japan in
2011, arrived at Rotterdam with
a cargo from Finland and, after
discharge of cargo and ballast,
proceeded to the Botlek in
Rotterdam to enter dry dock for
the fi tting of a new propeller.
Such repairs are diffi cult to fi t in
between voyages, but the task
of replacing the propeller with a
new one was undertaken within
days and she was refl oated on 19
May with the help of two tugs and
departed for Norway. RC

 The bulk carrier Nordic Orion
leaves dry dock in Rotterdam on
19 May after having her propeller
replaced. RoY cResseY

HEEREMA LEAVES PIPELAY

CARGO

CRANE SHIP

Heerema Offshore Contractors,

which is having the world’s

strongest semi-submersible

crane ship built in Singapore,

is exiting the international

offshore pipe-laying sector to

focus on heavylift and platform

decommissioning work.

The decision follows a review

of the global pipelay market,

completed earlier this year,

which found it to be ‘highly

competitive’ and suffering from

signifi cant overcapacity. As part

of its decision the company’s

2013-built construction vessel

Aegir, which measures 210m

by 46.2m and has 48MW

of installed power, will be

converted into a fast heavylift

ship capable of transporting and

installing offshore structures

while also undertaking platform

decommissioning contracts. JS

The 50,228gt construction vessel

Aegir, pictured on the Tyne on 25

April, is to be stripped of her pipe-

laying gear and transformed into a

fast heavylift ship. KeN shoRT

The 81,501dwt Songa Delmar, built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2011, is

one of several ships moving from the Songa to Star Bulk fleet this year. RUUD MaRcel

OLDENDORFF TAKES BABYCAPES

BULK CARRIERS

Germany’s Oldendorff Carriers

has acquired four Babycape bulk

carriers from Interorient Navigation

of Cyprus and taken two sisterships

on time charter from the same

company. All six ships were

built by China’s New Times

Shipbuilding between 2010 and

2013, and previously operated in a

pool with Denmark’s Norden A/S.

The purchased ships are being

renamed Pia Oldendorff (ex-Orient

Sun), Peter Oldendorff (ex-Orient

Strength), Penelope Oldendorff

(ex-Orient Crusader) and Patricia

Oldendorff (ex-Orient Champion),

while the 2010-built Orient

Centaur and Orient Cavalier will

be taken on charter with no name

change. Babycape ships are of

about 100,000dwt to 125,000dwt

in capacity, and Oldendorff will

now operate 40 of the ships,

including 14 owned units. JS

 The 114,751 Orient Cavalier is one of six Babycape bulk carriers involved in

a purchase/charter undertaking between Germany’s Oldendorff Carriers and

Interorient Navigation of Cyprus. iNTeRoRieNT NaViGaTioN