Greek shipowner Melina Travlos has made her first foray into the ultramax market to bring the size of her dry bulk fleet to four ships, according to market sources.

London-based brokers identified Travlos company Neptune Dry as the buyer of the 61,000-dwt ultramax Loch Nevis (built 2016), reportedly for $24.5m.

Managers at the Piraeus-based company were not immediately available to comment on the information.

The Loch Nevis is currently listed under the ownership of Japan's KN Maritime, which has just one other ship in its fleet, an identical ultramax called Loch Ness.

If a deal for the Loch Nevis is confirmed, it would represent Neptune Dry’s first acquisition in more than a year.

The company was set up in September 2017. Right after its establishment, Neptune Dry bought three modern supramaxes in quick succession.

Its initial expansion phase came to a halt in December 2017 after the purchase of the 58,200-dwt bulker Canary K (built 2012) for $16.7m. The ship has been renamed ND Thelxis.

Neptune Dry has so far proven a fan of Japanese-built tonnage. All three confirmed vessels in its fleet have been built in that country — as is the Loch Nevis, which is a product of Shin Kurushima Dockyard.

Travlos is mostly known for Neptune Line, which operates 16 pure car/truck carriers.

The company transported more than one million vehicles in 2017, according to its most recent official full-year numbers.