Recently, Greek shipowner Harry Vafias, known for his preference for Japanese shipbuilding, has further consolidated his leading position as the most active secondhand ship buyer in Greece this year through a deal involving three vessels. According to ship management and brokerage sources, Brave Maritime, the private bulk carrier company under the Vafias Group, has agreed in principle to purchase three Japanese-built handysize bulk carriers from MUR Shipping.
The three vessels are the 34,400-dwt African Merlin, African Heron, and African Goshawk (all built in 2016), with a total transaction price reportedly around $51.5 million. These modern, energy-efficient bulk carriers have been operated by MUR Shipping from the Netherlands and Dubai since their delivery nine years ago by Japan’s Namura Shipyard and are expected to undergo special surveys next year.
If the deal is finalized, it will further solidify the Vafias Group’s position as one of the world’s most active secondhand ship traders and the largest domestic buyer in Greece. According to TradeWinds data, since the beginning of 2023, the Vafias Group’s family has acquired 22 bulk carriers with a total investment close to $430 million. This has nearly tripled the size of the Vafias Group’s bulk carrier fleet (primarily held by its private companies) in less than two years. Among these, nine transactions have been completed this year.
The Vafias Group’s tanker division, Stealth Maritime, also joined the acquisition spree earlier this year, purchasing three product tankers from the United Overseas Group led by Peter Georgiopoulos and Italy’s d’Amico International Shipping for a total of approximately $50 million.
The choice to acquire these three handysize bulk carriers from MUR Shipping may also reflect the Vafias Group’s intention to further expand in this specific ship type. In recent months, the value of handysize bulk carriers has not shown significant growth, and this segment currently has the smallest orderbook among all bulk carrier segments. According to Clarksons, handysize bulk carriers under construction account for only 8.7% of the existing fleet, compared to the overall bulk carrier average of 10.7%.
For MUR Shipping, the sale of these three vessels follows the sale of two other older handysize bulk carriers to Chinese buyers earlier this year. These two vessels are the 32,800-dwt African Swan (now renamed Well Dream, built in 2005) and the 32,200-dwt African Halcyon (now renamed Afar Star, built in 2007).
