Croatian shipyard Brodosplit has finally sold Golden Horizon, which had been laid up since 2021. The buyer was not revealed.
The ship was originally ordered in 2014 for Star Clippers, but a legal dispute with Brodosplit meant it never entered service. It was briefly chartered to TradeWinds Voyages in 2021 but was seized by UK authorities over the ongoing dispute with Star Clippers. Tradewinds Voyages ceased operations shortly afterwards.
Is it possible that Star Clippers has finally got its long-awaited fourth vessel back? The line recently appointed a new CEO, and getting hold of the ship (which was originally to be named Flying Clipper) would be a major coup and PR win.
On the other hand, Golden Horizon is likely to need some major works to bring her into fully operational condition. The ship has sat dormant for five years in Split, looking the worse for wear. It’s difficult to ascertain how her interiors and machinery have held up, too: the keel was laid 11 years ago, in 2015. At the very least, she’ll need a major dry-dock and new classification society approval before entering operations.
Star Clippers is the most likely buyer, but others – like Hamburg-based Sea Cloud – may have interests in the ship as well.
