MAROUSSI, ATHENS, GREECE -- (Marketwire) -- 06/11/09 -- Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA),
owner and operator of drybulk carriers and container vessels and provider
of seaborne transportation for drybulk and containerized cargoes, announced
today that it signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase a Panamax
drybulk carrier of 74,020 dwt, built in 2000 in Japan, for approximately
$27.5 million. The vessel comes with a time charter back to the seller
until January 2010 at a gross daily rate of $25,200 per day and is expected
to be delivered to the Company between July 1, 2009 and August 5, 2009.
Following the delivery of the vessel, approximately 74% of Euroseas' total
fleet days remaining in 2009 and approximately 40% in 2010 will be fixed
under time charters, FFA contracts, already concluded spot charters, or
otherwise protected from market fluctuations.
Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas, commented: "We are
delighted to announce the acquisition of a
9-year-old Japanese built Panamax drybulk carrier as part of our fleet
expansion program. The accompanying time charter until January 2010 to a
solid counterparty improves and provides further visibility to our 2009
earnings.
"During 2008, we avoided investing in the drybulk market, acquiring only
one containership with a 3-year charter. However, the drop in vessel prices
at the end of last year has made fleet renewal and expansion economically
attractive again. The current purchase marks our third dry bulk acquisition
during this year for approximately the same total cost as it would have
cost us to buy just one such vessel before September 2008. As with the
previous two acquisitions, we believe that we will be able to finance about
50% of the acquisition price with bank debt.
"While we maintain our cautious short term outlook for both the drybulk and
container markets due to the high vessel orderbooks and the uncertain
global economy, we are evaluating signs of a possible market recovery in
both sectors which have been demonstrated by improved drybulk earnings and
a reduction in the number of containerships laid-up. We are confident that
the strength of our balance sheet and the low cost structure of our
operations will enable us to navigate through this challenging period and
grow the fleet further at attractive low prices."
Fleet Profile:
Euroseas Ltd. fleet profile after taking delivery of the newly acquired
panamax dry bulk carrier will be as follows:
Year TCE Rate
Name Type Dwt TEU Built Employment ($/day)
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Dry Bulk
Vessels
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Panamax
Bulker (to TC 'til
be renamed) Panamax 74,020 2000 Jan-10 $25,200
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TC 'til
ELENI P Panamax 72,119 1997 May-10 $15,350
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Baumarine
IRINI (*) Panamax 69,734 1988 Pool
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TC 'til
ARISTIDES N.P. Panamax 69,268 1993 Jan-10 $12,350
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Bulkhandling
MONICA P (**) Handymax 46,667 1998 Pool
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
GREGOS Handysize 38,691 1984 Spot
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Total Dry
Bulk Vessels 6 370,499
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Multipurpose
Dry Cargo
Vessels
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
$9,500 'til
TASMAN TC 'til Dec-10,
TRADER 1 22,568 950 1990 Mar-12 $9,000 'til
Mar-12
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Container
Carriers
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
$16,800 'til
Aug 11
TC 'til $18,735 'til
MAERSK Intermediate 34,677 2,556 2001 Aug-11 Aug 12
NOUMEA (3 annual $19,240 'til
options Aug 13
'til $19,750 'til
Aug-14) Aug 14
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TIGER TC 'til
BRIDGE Intermediate 31,627 2,228 1990 Mar-10 $7,500
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
ARTEMIS Intermediate 29,693 2,098 1987 Laid-up
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
DESPINA P Handy size 33,667 1,932 1990 Laid-up
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
JONATHAN P
(ex-OEL
INTEGRITY) Handy size 33,667 1,932 1990 Laid-up
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TC 'til
OEL Oct-09 $12,000
TRANSWORLD 'til Oct-10 $10,000
(ex-CLAN Handy size 30,007 1,742 1992 (owner's (owner's
GLADIATOR) option) option)
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
YM XINGANG I TC 'til
Handy size 23,596 1,599 1993 Jul-09 $26,650
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TC 'til
MANOLIS P Handy size 20,346 1,452 1995 Oct-09 $15,800
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
NINOS (ex-YM TC 'til
QINGDAO I) Feeder 18,253 1,169 1990 Apr-10 $8,060
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
TC 'til
Dec-09 $4,100 'til
KUO HSIUNG Feeder 18,154 1,169 1993 (6-month Jun-09
option $3,850 'til
'til Dec-09
Jun-10)
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Total
Container 10 273,687 17,877
Carriers
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
Fleet Grand
Total 17 666,754 18,827
------------ ------------ -------- ------ ------ ---------- --------------
(*) "IRINI" is employed in the Baumarine spot pool that is managed by
Klaveness, a major global charterer in the dry bulk area.
(**) "Monica P" is employed in the Bulkhandling spot pool that is managed
by Klaveness, a major global charterer in the dry bulk area.
About Euroseas Ltd.
Euroseas Ltd. was formed on May 5, 2005 under the laws of the Republic of
the Marshall Islands to consolidate the ship owning interests of the Pittas
family of Athens, Greece, which has been in the shipping business over the
past 136 years. Euroseas trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the
ticker ESEA.
Euroseas operates in the dry cargo, drybulk and container shipping markets.
Euroseas' operations are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., an ISO 9001:2000
certified affiliated ship management company, which is responsible for the
day-to-day commercial and technical management and operations of the
vessels. Euroseas employs its vessels on spot and period charters and
through pool arrangements.
The Company has a fleet of 16 vessels, including 3 Panamax drybulk
carriers, 1 Handymax drybulk carrier, 1 handysize drybulk carrier, 3
Intermediate container ship, 5 Handysize container ships, 2 Feeder
container ships and a multipurpose dry cargo vessel. Euroseas' 4 drybulk
carriers have a total cargo capacity of 296,479 dwt, its 10 container ships
have a cargo capacity of 17,787 teu and its 1 multipurpose vessel has a
cargo capacity of 22,568 dwt or 950 teu.
The Company has also entered into an agreement to acquire an additional
Panamax drybulk carrier, to be delivered in March 2009, thereby expanding
its total fleet to 16 vessels.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events
and the Company's growth strategy and measures to implement such strategy;
including expected vessel acquisitions and entering into further time
charters. Words such as expects, intends, plans, believes, anticipates,
hopes, estimates, and variations of such words and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements
are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove
to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and
are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently
subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are
beyond the control of the Company. Actual results may differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not
limited to changes in the demand for dry bulk vessels, competitive factors
in the market in which the Company operates; risks associated with
operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to
time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with
respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on
which any statement is based.
Visit our website www.euroseas.gr
Company Contact
Tasos Aslidis
Chief Financial Officer
Euroseas Ltd.
11 Canterbury Lane
Watchung, NJ 07069
Tel. (908) 301-9091
E-mail: aha@euroseas.gr
Investor Relations / Financial Media
Nicolas Bornozis
President
Capital Link, Inc.
230 Park Avenue, Suite 1536
New York, NY 10169
Tel. (212) 661-7566
E-mail: nbornozis@capitallink.com