The tender for the sale of the Moby Aki, Moby Wonder, Athara, Moby Ale 2, and Janas ferries has been set for November 12th. Two of these will remain in the fleet under a sale-and-leaseback arrangement.

Just days after the Antitrust Authority approved the agreement proposed by SAS (MSC Group), Moby, and GNV to avoid sanctions related to a potential market cartel, the Onorato family's ferry company immediately announced the sale of five of its ferries. The proceeds will be used to repay the €243 million loan received from the MSC Group (through Luxembourg-based SAS). The agreement with the authority stipulates that, "if the proceeds from the sale of these assets are not sufficient to repay the SAS loan, any remaining credit will be sold to an independent third party, under conditions that respect Moby's economic and financial sustainability."

The 'blue whale' 

Through a specialized portal, the 'blue whale' has therefore launched a tender to sell the ro-pax vessels Moby Aki, Moby Wonder, Athara, Janas and Moby Ale 2 in a single lot at a base price of 229.9 million euros. 

it is a sort of sale and lease for two of these ferries

For two of these ferries, it is in fact a sort of sale and lease back because the procedure specifies the following: "The sale of the Moby Aki and Moby Wonder vessels takes place in the state of fact and law in which they are found at the date of sale and delivery and with the obligation for the Successful Bidder to simultaneously stipulate, with Moby S.p.A., which will become the lessee, a bareboat lease contract for each vessel for the duration of (15) fifteen years at a daily rent of € (15,000.00) fifteen thousand on the basis of the terms and conditions set out in the Bimco Barecon 2017 form logically amended.

The  undertakes not to change the name of the Vessels.

The Successful Bidder undertakes not to change the name of the Vessels. The sale and subsequent bareboat lease take place in the state of fact and law in which the Vessels are found at the time of the sale and bareboat lease, with the express obligation for the Successful Bidder to keep the Italian flag for the entire duration of the sale and bareboat lease. the duration of the bareboat charter”.

In addition to the sale in question, union sources report that the closure of the historically operated ferry line between Naples and Palermo has also been made official: the closure will take place starting November 24th.

Source : Shipping Italy

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