Diana Containerships Inc., a shipping company specializing in owning and operating containerships, has signed today two Memoranda of Agreement with APL (Bermuda) Ltd. for the purchase of two Panamax container vessels the m/v "APL Sardonyx" and the m/v "APL Spinel".
The m/v "APL Sardonyx" is a 1995-built vessel of approximately 4,750 TEU capacity and the m/v "APL Spinel" is a 1996-built vessel of approximately 4,750 TEU capacity. The purchase price for each vessel is US$30 million. The expected dates of delivery from their previous owners to the company for both vessels are within the first quarter of 2012.
Each of the two vessels is chartered to APL (Bermuda) Ltd., or to a guaranteed nominee or to another entity of the NOL Group with similar or better net worth than APL (Bermuda) Ltd. for a period of minimum twenty-four months plus or minus forty-five days at a daily rate of US$24,750. The charterer has the option to employ each vessel for a further twelve month period plus or minus forty-five days, at a daily rate of US$24,750 starting twenty-four months after delivery of the vessel to the charterer. After that period the charterer has the option to employ each vessel for a further twelve month period plus or minus forty-five days, at a daily rate of US$28,000 starting thirty-six months after delivery of the vessel to the charterer.