Diana Shipping has entered into a time charter contract with Hong Kong - based China Shipping Bulk Carrier, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Calipso.
The "Calipso" is a 73,691 dwt Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2005. The gross charter rate is US$6,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum ten (10) months to maximum fourteen (14) months.
Diana Shipping Inc.'s fleet currently consists of 41 dry bulk vessels (2 Newcastlemax, 12 Capesize, 3 Post-Panamax, 4 Kamsarmax and 20 Panamax).
The Company also expects to take delivery of one new-building Capesize dry bulk vessel during August 2015, and two new-building Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels and one new-building Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel during the second quarter of 2016.
As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Company's fleet, excluding the four vessels not yet delivered, is approximately 4.7 million dwt with a weighted average age of 7.17 years.
Calipso was previously employed on a two-year timecharter to Cargill, which was fixed at a rate of $8,100 per day on July 1, 2013.