NYK (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha) has presented its Dry Bulk Gold Award 2026 to BAO MIN, a 297,844 dwt ore carrier built in 2010. The vessel is chartered by NYK and managed by Synergy Onyx, part of Synergy Marine Group, for Kitaura Kaiun. NYK’s dry bulk fleet exceeds 400 vessels, and three were recognised this year: one with the Platinum Award and two, including BAO MIN, with the Gold Award.
The award was presented at NYK’s Dry Bulk Safety Conference in Imabari, Japan, on 2 and 3 September 2026. NYK has held the conference every year since 2010. This year it brought together 98 participants from 29 shipowners, ship managers and related organisations. NYK announced the results on 4 September 2026
Vessel particulars
| Particular | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel type | Ore carrier |
| Deadweight | 297,844 dwt |
| Built | 2010 |
| Flag | Panama |
| IMO number | 9565510 |
| Charterer | NYK |
| Ship manager | Synergy Onyx Marine Private Limited, Pune |
The criteria NYK applies
NYK assesses vessels on Port State Control (PSC) inspection results, performance under NAV9000 (NYK’s own safety standard) and records of accidents and operational troubles. NYK revised its award criteria for 2026, and the award is now considerably more selective.
The award recognises two years in which BAO MIN had no detention and no downtime caused by accidents or operational troubles. NYK also acknowledged the vessel’s high standard of safety management, crediting the Master, officers and crew together with the owner and ship manager.
What the record means for charterer and owner
For a charterer, a vessel that clears inspections and stays in service supports cargo planning. For an owner, avoiding detention and downtime from accidents or operational troubles protects the vessel’s commercial availability. Both bear on total cost of ownership over a vessel’s service life.
Ajay Chaudhry, our Co-CEO, Ship Management, said:
“NYK applies demanding criteria to the vessels in its dry bulk fleet, and this year’s award was harder to earn than before. A sustained record of safe and reliable operation matters to charterers planning cargoes and to owners protecting the long-term value of their vessels. That record is not the work of one voyage or one crew. We thank NYK and Kitaura Kaiun for their continued trust.”
The people on board and ashore
We congratulate Captain Chandravir S. Ranawat and Chief Engineer Mohit Sanguri. The recognition belongs equally to every seafarer who served on BAO MIN during the award period and to the Synergy Onyx colleagues in Pune who provide technical ship management for the vessel.
Following KEY JOURNEY in 2025
BAO MIN’s award follows the NYK Dry Bulk Award 2025 for KEY JOURNEY, a 2012-built Kamsarmax also managed by Synergy Onyx. The two awards in successive years recognise the crews and shore teams who support these vessels in meeting NYK’s expectations for safe and reliable operation.
About Synergy Marine Group: Synergy Marine Group is a third-party ship manager founded in 2006 and headquartered in Singapore, with more than 750 vessels under management and 34,000 seafarers.
