Jeff Pribor News

New York-headquartered tanker shipping company International Seaways, Inc. on Tuesday announced it has signed agreements with Ocean Yield ASA (“Ocean Yield”) for the refinancing of six vessels in sale leaseback transactions.The bareboat charter-in lease agreements for the six modern scrubber-fitted very large crude carriers (VLCC) Seaways Tybee, Seaways Triton, Seaways Cape Henry, Seaways Hendricks, Seaways Liberty, and Seaways Diamond Head are for a period of 10 years with purchase obligations at expiry.The transactions are expected to fund in early November 2021 and result in financing of approximately $375 million, which will be used to replace the current $228 million Sinosure facility, with the balance intended for general corporate purposes.

On November 13, the newly formed New York Maritime Consortium, a coalition of leaders from New York Maritime Inc. (NYMAR), the Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA), the Maritime Law Association (MLA) and the Association of Shipbrokers and Agents (ASBA), will host an event entitled “New York and London: Perception and Reality”. According to the event’s organizers, key industry figures from the areas of finance, arbitration and law from both sides of the Atlantic have been invited to illustrate the strengths of each jurisdiction, and how the two relate to each other. Chief Judge Loretta Preska of the Southern District of New York Federal Court will moderate the event. The forum will be held from 2:30-6 p.m. at The Harvard Club.

Examining areas of change and growth in shipping is the focus of the 20th annual Hellenic-American and Norwegian-American Chambers of Commerce conference, often called the New York Shipping Conference. Entitled “Today’s Vision- Tomorrow’s Reality”, the conference will present a Macro Shipping and Economic Overview, a look at Shipping 2020, the challenges of balancing safety, regulatory compliance and costs, the current outlook and sources of dry bulk demand and supply, sourcing ship finance, and the commercial impacts of decisions regarding trade routes, chartering and futures.

Clay Maitland, Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announces two major events. NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Conference, will feature “Greening the Marine Transportation System”, “The Arctic”, “Safety at Sea” and “Corporate Risk Management”. This conference, with NAMEPA's fifth anniversary in mind, will be held on 14, November 2012, and is to be followed by NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards honoring Maersk, NOAA, SUNY Maritime College, and the American Salvage Association (ASA).

General Maritime Corporation (NYSE: GMR) reported its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010. The Company recorded a net loss of $26.0 million or $0.30 basic and $0.30 diluted loss per share for the three months ended September 30, 2010 compared to net income of $14.8 million or $0.27 basic and $0.27 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended September 30, 2009. The decrease in net income was primarily the result of a 31.9% decrease in TCE to $19,109 per day for the three months ended September 30, 2010 compared to $28,077 per day for the prior year period, as well as a $13.6 million increase in net interest expense to $21.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2010 compared to $7.7 million for the prior year period.

General Maritime Corporation (NYSE:GMR) reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010. The company recorded a net loss of $14.3 million or $0.25 basic and $0.25 diluted loss per share for the three months ended June 30, 2010 compared to net income of $7.3 million or $0.13 basic and $0.13 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended June 30, 2009. The decrease in net income was primarily the result of an 18.1% decrease in TCE to $22,633 per day for the three months ended June 30, 2010 compared to $27,649 per day for the prior year period, as well as an $11.2 million increase in net interest expense to $19.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2010 compared to $7.8 million for the prior year period.

General Maritime Corporation (NYSE:GMR) reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010. The company recorded a net loss of $9.1 million or $0.16 basic and $0.16 diluted loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to net income of $18.9 million or $0.35 basic and $0.34 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2009. The decrease in net income was primarily due to a 21% decrease in our fleet TCE compared to the prior year period, as well as increased direct vessel operating expenses relating to the $1.1 million write-offs of certain insurance claims not deemed to be collectible for the three months ended March 31, 2010.

General Maritime Corporation (NYSE:GMR) reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009. Excluding other expense, the company recorded net income of $7.7 million or $0.14 basic and $0.14 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended June 30, 2009 compared to $20.0 million or $0.52 basic and $0.50 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended June 30, 2008. The decrease in net income excluding other expense was principally the result of lower Time Charter Equivalent rates or TCE realized in the current quarter versus the prior year period as well as lower utilization primarily due to drydocking.

On Feb. 25, General Maritime Corporation (NYSE:GMR) reported its financial results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2008. Excluding the $3.2m of other gain and $34m in compensation accruals in connection with the company's executive transition plan as well as litigation costs in connection with the Genmar Defiance, the company recorded net income of $19.3m or $0.47 basic and $0.45 diluted earnings per share for the three months ended December 31, 2008. Net loss was $11.5m or $0.28 basic and $0.28 diluted loss per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2008, compared to net income of $5.2m, or $0.13 basic and $0.13 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended December 31, 2007.