New Blog Series: To Buy or Not to Buy

It is a well-known fact that at least 80 percent of world trade is carried by sea. There is also a famous saying in shipping: a shipowner is truly happy only twice — the day he buys the ship and the day he sells it. The period in between often turns out to be a surprisingly gripping adventure.

In this series, we will address the basic questions that naturally arise from an investor’s point of view when stepping into this adventure. We will also share our perspective on whether it makes sense to invest now or wait six months. We will start with the essentials: minimum budget and minimum hassle.

Imagine — not necessarily, but bear with us — that you are sitting in your beautiful office, looking out of the window at blue skies (if you are lucky), dreaming about sailing on a vessel that earns for you. There is something deeply satisfying in saying, “I own a ship with a turning propeller working for me. ”Even better is being able to say, “I own a share in a ship, with risks carefully minimized.” But how complicated is it really to invest in shipping?

You have capital that you want to turn into a revenue-generating business. You have decided to invest in shipping. What you need next is support. And even if you are part of a large shipping group, you still need support — both financially and technically — to operate a vessel efficiently.

The financial side: Banks, private equity funds, and capital markets are available to support your investment.

The technical side: Not everyone is born a sailor. In fact, experience shows that non-sailing investors often perform exceptionally well in shipping — provided that vessels are technically managed by professionals.

Bit by bit we are aiming to clear the fog and put these two parts together running smoothly for the benefit of the investor.

If you feel like peace will come soon and business in the Mediterranean basin will go strong, then it is time to buy.

If you choose the secure side of the business, that is also fine.

You have the chance to spend the time preparing for the voyage.

In both cases, we will be supporting your scenario, going into details soon.

Bon voyage!

What’s Next

• Financial Aspects of Ship Finance

• Technical Aspects of Ship Finance

• Projection Model: European-Built Over-Aged Coaster

• Projection Model: Sea-River going Over-Aged Coaster

• The Black Sea Coaster Market