The Gianluigi Aponte-led operator has taken the 2,556-teu NileDutch Zebra (built 2001) from Greek owner Danaos Corp on a three-year bareboat charter with a purchase obligation, say brokers.

The deal comes after Lou Kollakis’s Chartworld Shipping emerged as the buyer of three sub-panamax boxships from Germany’s Alpha Ship, which have also been taken on bareboat charter by MSC.

Brokers also report that German owner Laeisz has sold the 4,500-teu MSC Sao Paulo (built 1998) for $9m to charterer MSC.

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