Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Jan 10, 2012 9:42AM EST
Diana Containerships is buying two Panamax containerships under a purchase and leaseback agreement signed Tuesday with APL.
The NYSE-listed Diana Containerships is buying the two ships, the APL Sardonyx and the APL Spinel, for $30 million apiece, and will immediately lease them back to APL for two years. The Athens-based charter shipowner will take delivery of the two ships in the first quarter.
The purchase of these two ships will bring Diana’s fleet of second-hand containerships to 10. The company acquired two second-hand containerships from a German KG partnership in December.
The APL Sardonyx was built in 1995, and the APL Spinel in 1996. Both ships have capacities of about 4,750 20-foot equivalent container units.
Each of the two vessels is chartered to APL (Bermuda) or to a guaranteed nominee or to another entity of Neptune Orient Lines, the Singapore liner’s parent company, for a period of minimum 24 months plus or minus 45 days at a daily rate of $24,750.
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.