Euroseas Ltd., an owner and operator of container vessels and provider of seaborne transportation for containerized cargoes, announced the extension of the charter of its container vessels M/V “EM Kea” and a new time charter contract for its container vessel M/V “Synergy Busan”. Specifically:
The charter of M/V “EM Kea”, a 3,091 TEU vessel built in 2007, was extended for a period between a minimum of twenty-five and a maximum of twenty-eight months at the option of the charterer, at a daily rate of $22,000. The new rate will commence on April 25, 2021 about 2 months earlier than the latest expiration of the present charter.
M/V “Synergy Busan”, a 4,253 TEU vessel built in 2009, entered into a new time charter contract for a period of between a minimum of thirty-six and a maximum of forty months at the option of the charterer, at a daily rate of $25,000. The new rate will commence between June 9, 2021 and August 9, 2021 when the vessel will be redelivered from its current charterer.
Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas, commented: “We are very pleased to announce new charters for two of our vessels for periods of at least two and three years, respectively, at rates more than twice the levels of their existing employment. The new charters secure a minimum of $40m of contracted revenues and make an annualized EBITDA contribution of approximately $11.5m which is about $9.0m higher than, or 4.5 times, their present contribution of about $2.5m, significantly improving our profitability and cash flow visibility.
“Undoubtedly, the containership markets have had a remarkable run over the last six months with all factors in the marketplace suggesting continuing strength. After these two charters, seven of our fourteen vessels would be earning higher rates reflective of the recent market recovery. If the present market levels continue, renewals of the five remaining charters with legacy rates expiring in 2021 should result in significant further increase in our profitability. The cash flow generated would be available to further strengthen our balance sheet, be used for further investment or for reinstitution of dividends or a combination thereof, as always, at the discretion of our Board or Directors.”
