Brokers are linking the UK’s Tufton Oceanic with a swoop for seven German feeder boxships. The British outfit is reportedly paying $50m en bloc for the seven 2,478 teu ships, previously owned by Leer-based Hartmann Schiffahrts. Six of the ships – the Frisia Wismar, Frisia Kiel, Frisia Rostock, Frisia Rotterdam, Frisia Lissabon and Frisia Lubeck – were built in 2004, while the Frisia Helsinki was built in 2005.
The Hartmann feeder box fleet has been on the market for a number of months. One broking source told Splash last month that the seven vessels were “good, solid ships, but a little thirsty and long in the tooth”.
A year ago Hartmann sold a multipurpose fleet, Feederlines, to a new Dutch outfit.
Meanwhile, Splash understands that Hartmann is looking at a financial restructuring of its offshore division with its fleet of 11 anchor handlers, all built in 2009 and 2010, running into financially tricky times.
The German shipping line was founded by Captain Alfred Hartmann in 1981. With a fleet of more than 150 vessels it is one of the biggest names in German shipping today. The diversified fleet comprises gas tankers, product tankers, bulk carriers, container vessels, multipurpose ships, offshore support vessels and cement carriers.
