Fifth Maritime Fund Offers Investors Diversified Access to Real Assets with Low Market Correlation and Strong Income Opportunities

Easterly Clear Ocean, a maritime investment platform and Strategic Partner of Easterly Asset Management, today announced the launch of its fifth investment fund, ECO Fleet Holdings V LP (ECO V), and the successful close of its fourth tranche, Easterly Fleet Holdings IV LLC (Tranche IV).

ECO was founded in 2021 to capitalize on inefficiencies in the global shipping market. It seeks to provide investors with direct access to real, income-producing maritime assets that are essential to global commerce. ECO actively acquires and manages vessels across maritime subsectors leveraging decades of deep knowledge, operational expertise and direct industry relationships to provide investors exclusive access and intelligence to an opaque market.

ECO V expands the Company’s investment strategy with a diversified fund targeting Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs), Dry Bulk Carriers, and Tankers. These sectors are currently experiencing significant supply-demand imbalances and ECO’s ability to source and operate vessels efficiently creates a compelling opportunity for attractive returns.

“Our approach seeks to combine direct management of high-quality vessels with active ownership to help optimize asset performance and investor outcomes,” said Darrell Crate, Founder and Managing Principal of Easterly Asset Management. “ECO V offers investors a unique mechanism to access real assets, generate operating income, and offer the potential for early cash distributions.”

A defining feature of ECO’s return profile is its focus on distributions of paid-in capital. The fund actively invests capital in operating vessels, with the resulting income being used to pay debt and return capital to investors. This structure helps drive consistent cash flow while preserving the potential for capital appreciation over the fund’s investment horizon.

By diversifying across multiple vessel types in maritime sectors, ECO V aims to reduce exposure to single-market risks and deliver returns that are uncorrelated with broader equities and traditional private equity. This can make the fund a valuable complement to portfolios seeking downside protection and real-asset exposure in volatile markets.

“Easterly Clear Ocean offers a rare opportunity in private markets — operational, cash-generating real assets that can perform in various market conditions,” said Phil Juliano Jr. (PJ), Head of Sales at Easterly. “We believe ECO V provides a compelling opportunity for investors to build wealth through income and capital return, while enhancing diversification in client portfolios.”

ECO V is targeting $250 million+ in capital commitments, appealing to both institutional and accredited investors. Many existing limited partners, comprising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and registered investment advisors (RIAs), are reinvesting distributions from earlier tranches, highlighting confidence in ECO’s strategy and execution.

Tranche IV, which closed on March 31, 2025, has deployed $183 million and marked the expansion of ECO’s maritime focus to include OSVs. The management team, led by COO Jake Scott and CFO Andy Tuchman, brings nearly 30 years of combined experience in maritime investing, operations, and finance. Since its inception, Easterly Clear Ocean has deployed nearly $400 million in capital across Tranches I – IV.

Securities offered through Easterly Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Not a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell securities of any investment fund; any such offering will be made to qualified investors only by means of definitive offering documents and related subscription materials (the “Offering Documents”) which contain significant additional information about the terms and risks of the investment. There can be no assurance that the investment objective will be achieved.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE