9. Financial Instruments and Fair Value Disclosures

Our principal financial assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, amounts due from related parties, trade accounts receivable and derivative instruments. Our principal financial liabilities consist of long‑term debt, derivative instruments, accounts payable, amounts due to related parties and accrued liabilities.

(a) Concentration of credit risk: Financial instruments, which may subject us to significant concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of amounts due from our charterers, including the receivables from Helios Pool, and cash and cash equivalents. We limit our credit risk with amounts due from our charterers, including those through the Helios Pool, by performing ongoing credit evaluations of our charterers’ financial condition and generally do not require collateral from our charterers. We limit our credit risk with our cash and cash equivalents by placing it with highly-rated financial institutions.

(b) Interest rate risk: Our long‑term bank loans are based on LIBOR and hence we are exposed to movements thereto. We entered into interest rate swap agreements in order to hedge a majority of our variable interest rate exposure related to the RBS Loan Facility and our 2015 Debt Facility. The interest rate swaps related to the RBS Loan Facility were terminated during the three months ended December 31, 2016 for $8.1 million. In September 2015, we entered into interest rate swaps with Citibank N.A. (“Citibank”) and ING Bank N.V. (“ING”) to effectively convert a notional amount of $200 million and $50 million, respectively, of debt related to our 2015 Debt Facility from a floating rate to a fixed rate of 1.93% and 2.00%, respectively, each with a termination date of March 23, 2022. In October 2015, we entered into interest rate swaps with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (“CBA”) and Citibank to effectively convert amortizing notional amounts of $85.7 million and $128.6 million, respectively, of debt related to our 2015 Debt Facility from a floating rate to a fixed rate of 1.43% and 1.38%, respectively, each with a termination date of March 23, 2022. In June 2016, we entered into two interest rate swaps with Citibank to effectively convert amortizing notional amounts of $73.0 million and $30.0 million, respectively, of debt related to our 2015 Debt Facility from a floating rate to a fixed rate of 1.21% and 1.16%, respectively, each with a termination date of March 23, 2022.

(c) Fair value measurements: Interest rate swaps are stated at fair value, which is determined using a discounted cash flow approach based on market‑based LIBOR swap yield rates. LIBOR swap rates are observable at commonly quoted intervals for the full terms of the swaps and, therefore, are considered Level 2 items in accordance with the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the interest rate swap agreements approximates the amount that we would have to pay for the early termination of the agreements. The following table summarizes the location on the balance sheet of the financial assets and liabilities that are carried at fair value on a recurring basis, which comprise our financial derivatives all of which are considered Level 2 items in accordance with the fair value hierarchy:


		December 31, 2016				March 31, 2016
	Other non-current assets		Long-term liabilities		Other non-current assets		Long-term liabilities
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Derivative instruments		Derivative instruments		Derivative instruments		Derivative instruments
Interest rate swap agreements	$	4,961,435	$	69,750	$	—	$	21,647,965

The effect of derivative instruments within the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented is as follows:


		Three months ended
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Location of gain/(loss) recognized	December 31, 2016		December 31, 2015
Interest Rate Swap—Change in fair value	Unrealized gain on derivatives	$	24,381,306	$	7,389,868
Interest Rate Swap—Realized loss	Realized loss on derivatives		(8,390,014)		(2,007,426)
Gain/(loss) on derivatives, net		$	15,991,292	$	5,382,442


		Nine months ended
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Location of gain/(loss) recognized	December 31, 2016		December 31, 2015
Interest Rate Swap—Change in fair value	Unrealized gain on derivatives	$	26,539,650	$	3,665,324
Interest Rate Swap—Realized loss	Realized loss on derivatives		(12,980,717)		(4,482,250)
Gain/(loss) on derivatives, net		$	13,558,933	$	(816,926)

As of December 31, 2016 and March 31, 2016, no fair value measurements for assets or liabilities under Level 1 or Level 3 were recognized in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We did not have any other assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis during the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

(d) Book values and fair values of financial instruments: In addition to the derivatives that we are required to record at fair value on our balance sheet (see (c) above), we have other financial instruments that are carried at historical cost. These financial instruments include trade accounts receivable, amounts due from related parties, cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, amounts due to related parties and accrued liabilities for which the historical carrying value approximates the fair value due to the short‑term nature of these financial instruments. We also have long term bank debt for which we believe the historical carrying value approximates their fair value as the loans bear interest at variable interest rates, being LIBOR, which is observable at commonly quoted intervals for the full terms of the loans, and hence are considered as Level 2 items in accordance with the fair value hierarchy. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are considered Level 1 items.