A Hong Kong judge has awarded HSBC Bank more than $10.3m in a default judgment a year after the auction of a handysize bulker.

The decision will allow the mortgage holder to recover about 90% of its financial claim on at least one of two repossessed Pyrsos Shipping handsizes.

The 33,300-dwt Apellis (renamed Pioneer Skipper, built 2010), which was formerly owned by Xylas family controlled Pyrsos, was auctioned in Hong Kong more than a year ago following an arrest over a shiprepair bill.