A US bankruptcy judge has handed shipbroker Clarksons the task of liquidating nine of Toisa’s offshore vessels, ranging from diving support to platform supply vessels.

VesselsValue pegs the total market value of all nine ships at a little more than $70m, although offshore brokers warn that forced sales virtually always guarantee that buyers will push down prices even further.

The moves to sell the offshore vessels come as Clarksons' efforts to sell the tanker fleet of the Gregory Callimanopulos-led shipowner closes.