6-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of February 2018

Commission File Number 001-33922

DRYSHIPS INC.

109 Kifissias Avenue and Sina Street

151 24, Marousi

Athens, Greece

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F [X]       Form 40-F [  ]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [  ].

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [  ].

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT

Attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 6-K is a press release of DryShips Inc. (the "Company") dated February 7, 2018: DryShips Inc. Announces Dividend for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2017 and Authorization of an up to $50 Million Stock Repurchase Program.

Attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Report on Form 6-K is a press release of the Company dated February 8, 2018: DryShips Inc. Announces Filing of Form F-1 Registration Statement for Planned Spin Off of its Gas Carrier Business.

The information contained in this Report on Form 6-K, other than the statement attributed to Mr. George Economou, is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company's registration statements on Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-202821 and 333-216826).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	DRYSHIPS INC.
	(Registrant)
Dated:  February 8, 2018	By:	/s/ Anthony Kandylidis
		Anthony Kandylidis
		President and Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

DRYSHIPS INC. ANNOUNCES DIVIDEND FOR THE QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017 AND AUTHORIZATION OF AN UP TO $50 MILLION STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

February 7, 2018, Athens, Greece - DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS)  ("DryShips" or the "Company"), a diversified owner of ocean going cargo vessels, announced today that, in accordance with its previously announced dividend policy, the Company's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend with respect to the quarter ended December 31, 2017.

With respect to the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $2.5 million payable on or about March 8, 2018 to common shareholders of record as of February 20, 2018. The dividend per share amount to be paid by the Company, based on the Company's 104,274,708 common shares outstanding, will be approximately 2.4 cents per share.

The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to $50 million of its outstanding common shares for a period of 12 months.  DryShips may repurchase shares in privately negotiated or open-market purchases in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The specific timing and amount of repurchases, if any, will be at the discretion of the Company's management and will depend upon a variety of factors, including market conditions, regulatory requirements and other corporate considerations.  The Company is not obligated under the program to purchase any shares.  Due to applicable securities laws, the Company's repurchase of shares will not begin until after the release of the Company's financial statements for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2017, which is expected to be within February. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. The Company expects to finance the stock purchases with existing cash balances.

About DryShips Inc.

The Company is a diversified owner of ocean going cargo vessels that operate worldwide. The Company owns a fleet of 35 vessels comprising of (i) 12 Panamax drybulk vessels; (ii) 4 Newcastlemax drybulk vessels; (iii) 5 Kamsarmax drybulk vessels; (iv) 1 Very Large Crude Carrier; (v) 2 Aframax tankers; (vi) 1 Suezmax tanker; (vii) 4 Very Large Gas Carriers and (viii) 6 offshore support vessels, including 2 platform supply and 4 oil spill recovery vessels.

DryShips' common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market where it trades under the symbol "DRYS."

Visit the Company's website at www.dryships.com

Forward-Looking Statement

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with such safe harbor legislation.

Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance and may include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

Important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the factors related to the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including changes in charter rates, utilization of vessels and vessel values, failure of a seller or shipyard to deliver one or more vessels, failure of a buyer to accept delivery of a vessel, the Company's inability to procure acquisition financing, default by one or more charterers of the Company's ships, changes in demand for drybulk or LPG commodities, changes in demand that may affect attitudes of time charterers, scheduled and unscheduled drydockings, changes in the Company's voyage and operating expenses, including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations, changes in the Company's relationships with the lenders under its debt agreements, potential liability from pending or future litigation, domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, international hostilities and political events or acts by terrorists.

Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by DryShips Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. If one or more forward-looking statements are updated, no inference should be drawn that additional updates will be made.

Investor Relations / Media:

Nicolas Bornozis

Capital Link, Inc. (New York)

Tel. 212-661-7566

E-mail: dryships@capitallink.com

EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

DRYSHIPS INC. ANNOUNCES FILING OF FORM F-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR PLANNED SPIN OFF OF ITS GAS CARRIER BUSINESS

February 8, 2018, Athens, Greece - DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS) ("DryShips" or the "Company"), a diversified owner of ocean going cargo vessels, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gas Ships Limited Inc., ("Gas Ships Limited") has filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.  The filing relates to the Company's spin off of its gas carrier business from the Company.

In the spin-off, DryShips will distribute to holders of its common stock 49% of the issued and outstanding shares of Gas Ships Limited's common stock.  Following the spin-off, Gas Ships Limited will be a publicly-traded company, and DryShips will retain a 51% ownership interest in Gas Ships Limited.

Mr. George Economou, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"The filing of the Form F-1 Registration Statement is an important step in the process of establishing Gas Ships Limited as a new, stand-alone company with its own strategic focus, independence and priorities. We believe that this business is well-positioned for success as a separate company."

A copy of Gas Ships Limited's initial Form F-1 Registration Statement, which contains financial and other information regarding Gas Ships Limited and the spin-off, is available at www.sec.gov.  The initial Form F-1 Registration Statement may be subsequently amended to provide further information regarding Gas Ships Limited and the spin-off prior to its completion.

The spin-off is subject to certain conditions, including the effectiveness of Gas Ships Limited's Form F-1 registration statement and final approval and declaration of the distribution by DryShips' Board of Directors.  DryShips may, at any time until the closing of the spin-off, decide to abandon, modify or change the terms of the spin-off.

About DryShips Inc.

The Company is a diversified owner of ocean going cargo vessels that operate worldwide. The Company owns a fleet of 35 vessels comprising of (i) 12 Panamax drybulk vessels; (ii) 4 Newcastlemax drybulk vessels; (iii) 5 Kamsarmax drybulk vessels; (iv) 1 Very Large Crude Carrier; (v) 2 Aframax tankers; (vi) 1 Suezmax tanker; (vii) 4 Very Large Gas Carriers and (viii) 6 offshore support vessels, including 2 platform supply and 4 oil spill recovery vessels.

DryShips' common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market where it trades under the symbol "DRYS."

Visit the Company's website at www.dryships.com

Forward-Looking Statement

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with such safe harbor legislation.

Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance and may include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

Important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the factors related to the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including changes in charter rates, utilization of vessels and vessel values, failure of a seller or shipyard to deliver one or more vessels, failure of a buyer to accept delivery of a vessel, the Company's inability to procure acquisition financing, default by one or more charterers of the Company's ships, changes in demand for drybulk or LPG commodities, changes in demand that may affect attitudes of time charterers, scheduled and unscheduled drydockings, changes in the Company's voyage and operating expenses, including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations, changes in the Company's relationships with the lenders under its debt agreements, potential liability from pending or future litigation, domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, international hostilities and political events or acts by terrorists.

Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by DryShips Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. If one or more forward-looking statements are updated, no inference should be drawn that additional updates will be made.

Investor Relations / Media:

Nicolas Bornozis

Capital Link, Inc. (New York)

Tel. 212-661-7566

E-mail: dryships@capitallink.com