' A SHIPBROKER'S TRIBUTE'

            ' A SHIPBROKER'S TRIBUTE'
                        Written by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis
                                     President/Director.

 

'Wednesday morning 8:30am Feb, 2012 and many offices are still closed.
White collar employees are ‘trapped’ in traffic on their way to catch up with their morning tasks with a bleary eye'.

The above scene stands for many but not for all!

In shipping business we have to be all time alerts and work ‘strange’ unusual hours - often from 4 am in the morning -to search and to discover the suitable vessel or the firm cargo.
80-90 per cent of cargoes are transported via sea routes by ocean going vessels and this makes our business a real, tangible business.
Shipbroker's role is a catalyst in shipping cargoes around the globe and this is a unique call.
Too often, competition is fierce and the long hours of work is exhausting, especially when many shipbrokers are racing to get the same cargo -especially in a poor freight market -
In a flourishing market, there is great demand and appetite for more vessels/ tonnage capacity to cover plenty of cargoes available and anyone can and is fixing anything making good money -even the cowboys of the market -
Regrettably, but interestingly enough, Shipping has its peaks and its lows.
Nowadays, once again, we are experiencing a down spiral cycle, (similar to the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s).
This shipping crisis though is different from the previous decades. Is not only the vessels’ oversupply but we are experiencing unprecedented changes in the banking system. I m reffering to the Europe’s financial turmoil and the withdrawal and closure of many credit lines!
No wonder for this is a new shipping recession it is part of the excitement our business offers.
In difficult periods like this, challenge is what keeps our hearts pounding with passion and thirst for achievement and accomplishment.
For it is in this challenging times the shipbrokers -worldwide- who must prove their role significance with showing their focused
and inexhaustible hard work and intelligence by providing once again more than it is expected.
Vessels’ owners are very much worried for their vessel’s employment opportunities and the scarcity of options in their goal to keep the propellers running at all times.
Profits are getting squeezed, sometimes close to non existent and often the aim is becoming merely the survival, in certain trading areas and or cases.
Prompt paying credible charterers is owners’ a major concern also which a shipbroker must provide sufficient evidence and information for.
Strategic planning and repositioning of vessels is also a matter to contemplate seriously.
Those Shipbrokers who rely in their personal experience from their day in- day out hard work have better control over their business and do always consult well and accurately their clients.
Well experienced and dedicated hard working Shipbrokers are the only professionals a ship-owner, a Charterer or a Shipper can rely on in getting the right information for planning the future or the next fixture.
A reason why Shipbrokers should be reading a lot what is going on internationally.
They read financial papers and magazines, political papers, environmental/climate changes reports so they would at all times have a clear understanding on how to interlink together all important information and datums for comprehending how the shipping industry is or is going to be affected.
As I aforesaid Shipping business is tangible and a very real business. Ships are daily transporting millions of tons of cargoes from one country to another every day, and YOU, THE SHIPBROKER - have made it happen!
Professional shipbrokers are not wasting a minute of their day and work pretty intensive for many hours as it is an International business.
Disappointing and frustrating enough when dates change, or when a cargo is postponed.
A successful shipbroker inspires himself and never lets the market’s downturns spoil his moral.
No matter the level of expertise he or she has he(she) always has the beginners mind and treat clients with passion to win their business!
In every call he(she) is making he(she) is transpiring this passion and enthusiasm.
But most important of all is the code of ethics he(she) applies in his(her) daily routines!
Disciplined and ethical 'his word is his bond' endures and overcomes successfuly anything with 'clean hands'.
Since we all are emotional these days due to the unpleasant developments in the world economy and the soft market this article is dedicated -as a special tribute- to our special  world wide colleagues, our special fellow and associated hard working shipbrokers,
who support us since S.T.I.C was established in 1997 until today.
Special thanks to all!
S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
CEO/President.
+30 210 4529500(ext.,103,104)
+30 210 4529505(Fax)www.eshipownerstrust.com
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com

’RISK TAKERS AND SHIPPING LOANS’.

  Business Article written by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis

                     S.T.I.C's CEO/President.

 Risk Takers. Let’s face it. This is in fact what all investors are.

There is no investment which can bring returns without taking some risk, except one, and that is Knowledge.

This is why Fund Managers, Financial Advisors, Wall Street Gurus are highly remunerated and their annual hefty success bonuses exceed the wildest dreams of most ambitious and well paid executives.
Bonuses flying at the range of few hundred millions us dollars to one or two billion! Investors’ usual critical questions are; Where should I invest and When?
Two questions which demand knowledge, expert analysis and wise answers.
Fund Managers and Financial Advisors usually have the knowledge and expertise to know the right answers to these troubleshooting questions.
The last two years they have focused in one of the most profitable but also risky (due to its cyclicality) investment options, which is the Shipping industry!

Shipping has been the talk of the day since 2012 as it is obviously a good investment opportunity, now the freight market and vessels values remain at historical low levels.

This is why Private-equity and hedge funds are accumulating shipping debt at the fastest pace since they began buying the risky loans from banks in 2012.

It can’t be unnoticed that about us$ 5 billion in shipping loans has changed hands in the past year, according to estimates by AMA Capital Partners LLC, a fund manager and adviser in New York.
Investor demand is driving prices as high as 90 cents on the dollar, from 70 to 80 cents a year ago. Funds are betting ship prices that collapsed as much as 80 percent in five years will rebound from historic lows.

Shipping is a tangible and global business.

Investing in Shipping - buying shares in Ship-Owning companies (SVP’s) - is a tax free investment (at fund’s level) and despite the risks involved and asset values depreciation in a bad freight market environment, where the demand for tonnage is low, the vessels always retain part of their value, the scrap value, in case of a distress sale in a catastrophic market or vessel’s age being too old.

Investors in shipping anticipate combining income returns on their investment. One is the income deriving from the trading and vessels management and the other is from the sale and purchase gains, when the assets are liquidated at appreciated prices, in a good freight market, where the demand for tonnage is brisk.

To get a fairly good idea about Shipping investment opportunities we should look at the price of a Capesize - the largest type of dry bulk carrier -which rose 50 percent in the past year to $44.5 million, that is 29 percent of the 2008 peak of $153.8 million.

In view of high profit opportunities new specialized Private-equity firms have been established, like Starfleet Navigation Limited - teamed by highly experienced shipping and investment professionals- which are willing to take ownership of the assets and put it to work while they wait for prices to appreciate.

Having said that it would be an omission not to mention that in view of the optimism prevailing amongst the funds that are buying shipping loans there few that are less familiar with shipping, if not at all, they are newbies and the risks they take might be proven an expensive lesson.

 

///

      SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (S.T.I.C)

 

               Ship Managers/ Operators /Chartering/S&P / Trading.

 

     S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.
     +30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX)
     - Web Site; www.eshipownerstrust.com
     - chartering@eshipownerstrust.com       (Chartering Dept.)
     - Operations@eshipownerstrust.com      (Operations Dept.)
     - dry@eshipownerstrust.com                   (Trading Dept.)
     - SnP@eshipownerstrust.com                 (Sale & Purchase/Demolition)
     - hrc@eshipownerstrust.com                   (human resources Dept.)

JOIN US; http://www.linkedin.com/groups/STIC-Shipowners-Trust-International-Corp-7462348/about

S.T.I.C is welcoming you in its international Group Shipping THINK TANK. Ideas and information is the most significant and valuable resources our industry is dependable on. 

Both ideas and information is produced by intelligent, industrious and positive thinking people. If you believe that you belong in this category of people then this can be your Ideal business Group. Meet and share your ideas, information between each other as;

 'if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far go together'.

S.T.I.C Group is about;
'IDEAS and KNOW HOW, about Ship Management, Dry Bulk Chartering, Seaborne Trade, Finance, Marine Insurance, Joint Ventures, Seafarers, Piracy, FFA's, and many more..at the RIGHT TIME' !
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/STIC-Shipowners-Trust-International-Corp-7462348/about

“The high performance ship/managers corporations are different. They worry about failure a lot. It makes them pay close attention to what is going on in their market and enter into useful alliances”.

S.T.I.C
Mr Anastasios Maraslis
CEO/Presidentchartering@eshipownerstrust.com
+30 210 4529500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +30 210 4529500 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting (ext.102).
+30 210 4529505 (Fax)
  Mrs Sapfo Daveli-Maraslis
Vice President/Chartering Manager
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com
Msn: Sapfo_m@hotmail.gr
+30 210 4529500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +30 210 4529500 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting (ext.104).
+30 210 4529505 (Fax)
+30 6943 108283 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +30 6943 108283 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Mobile).

'TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT'

                                              " TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT"
                                              by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis
                                             S.T.I.C-President/Director.

I am sorry to state the obvious but, sometimes, it seems we forget the basics or we take for granted what should be always checked first;

 

-A fixture which never came through, since charts failed to lift the subjs, is not to be

 considered a fixture, at all!
 Therefore the hire/freight of such failed biz can't and shouldn't be a guidance to what

 the freight market levels are!
-(Since when a failed fixture can be a guidance for owners or brokers? Is an athlete's  

 failed try to high jump 2.50 m a guide that men jump 2.50 m?).
-There are few, (happily), charterers who have no firm biz in their hands, (L/C is not

 opened/sales contract under negos), who indicate high rates to attract/secure the vessel

 and they even start firm negos with owners but failed to lift the subjs, left vessels in spot

 position, (something we all experience in large scale recently), and instigated the false r

 ate as a guide!
- A Charter fixture is considered to have been realised ONLY when is CLEAN OF SUBJS and

  when the FREIGHT or at least the first HIRE is being PAID, cleared in owners bank a/c!
-Reported, fictitious hire or freight numbers, derriving from Freight Derivatives, 'paper'

 market, or RECORD FIXTURES - who knows how done -as source of info/guidance is not

 pragmatic/true FOR US!

-There are men who make high jumps over 2.40 meters (Javier Sotomayor /WR since

 1993) but this doesn't reflect what the average athlete can do or the average ordinary

 man!

 

Please ppose to us any firm business (L/C is in place) and preferrably, cargo at port ready for loading, and when quoting a vessel kindly check what is the physical market paying empirically and not what the 'paper' market is expecting to make or the reports/promote as a guidance.

 

Freight Rates are determined by the doctrine of supply and demand ONLY and not by feeding owners expectations with ideas based on speculation. To set ones records straight, more effort is required, in real time, in the physical market, instead parrot /quoting what is published/read. Owners and Chrts alike need useful advise/consultancy from WHAT ONE HAS PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED/TOUCHED- NOT READ!

 

Wishing successful fixtures to all!

 

Sincerely yours

Shipowners Trust International Corporation (S.T.I.C)

Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.

www.eshipownerstrust.com

chartering@eshipownerstrust.com

SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION                              S.T.I.C                    
Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.

" SHIPPING- DRY BULK MARKET DYNAMICS NEXT 3/10 YEARS

           " SHIPPING- DRY BULK MARKET DYNAMICS NEXT 3/10 YEARS."

 

'Randomity is making life interesting, though too much randomity brings confusion & despair'                                  

 

                                   by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis
                                   S.T.I.C-President/Director

-Looking into the future is a physical human compulsion. Man needs to make a future 
 prognosis.
-Future prognosis goes far back in ancient Greece history, around 550 BC when there was
 the Oracle Pythia, at the Apollo Temple at Delphi ,which was famous for her enigmatic
 prophesies.
-Peering into the future is a risky business and anyone who endeavours giving a prognosis
 is doomed to failure as future is subject to changes, human intervention, force majure or
 unforseeable events.
-However there are some dynamics which can guide our vision in aid to minimize risks and
 with confidence organize the future.

Although, almost all, recent reports published by official recognisable world organisations and institutions similarly, like the Oracle Pythia, issued their 'forecasts' for the next 20-30 years (something you will get right in 20-30 years), I will focus in the dynamics of the next 3-10 years, since for the next two years I don't see, personally (today 24th July 2013), any market changes, unless something extraordinary takes place.

We, here at S.T.I.C, have vested multiple interests in Shipping Industry, since 1997, and have an urgent compulsion  to analyse the information available prior organising our strategies for the future.
Sharing our thoughts and ideas is an open invitation for counter thinking, constructive criticism, betterment and change! Therefore do not hesitate to share your thoughts with us.

The last decade, until today, a decisive protagonistic role, in the shipping dry bulk market, and world trade is played by the BRIIC'S countries. (Brazil, Russia,India, Indonesia, China).
Today, BRIIC'S countries are the driving force of global economy and for this reason only we will focus on their dynamics to their role playing the next decade (3-10 years actually) as they are and will maintain their protagonistic position in the freight market -  particularly in dry bulk commodities transportation by sea- we are interested in.

Their GROWTH SUSTAINABILITY is the key of our brief research and quick, but not hasty, peer into the future.

The BRIIC countries have proved, consistently year by year, an increasing productivity, increasing investments, increasing savings rates and DOMINANCE in contribution to the global GDP. Our reliable sources, from the WORLD BANK, indicate that the two thirds of the global investment growth over the last decade has originated in the BRIC countries.
However these dynamics have shown declining trends, although still high, and will remain high, although to a lower degree, compared to last decade. This assumption is based on the BRIIC's countries population growth, population which will get better education, will save more money and will invest more - WILL CONSUME MORE -

It is worth to mention that these countries were the least affected by the financial crisis of 2008 due to their minor exposure in the International Financial/Stock Exhange Markets (particularly in DERRIVATIVES AND JUNK BONDS).
{Their slower pace of growth though was mainly attributed to their western world exports sudden decline.}

Once again, according to the World Bank information reliable sources, the contribution of developing countries to global growth will rise from 73% around 2015 to 87% by 2030.
Therefore we may dare to assume that the world's investment and saving rates and yields on capital will stabilize within the next decade with key protagonists the developing countries.
Developing countries growth is 1,5-2 points below what it was during the pre crisis period, that is four years ago.
Despite the positive insights accrued from our above dynamics analysis it would have been a gross ommission to disregard the Euro Area crisis which already has impacted the developing countries economies to slower progress as above analysed. Unless Euro countries governments cut spending to reduce gargantuan deficits, lighten heavy taxation, households need to reduce debt levels and the banks need to unfreeze lending, we will not see the anticipated recovery and a positive % growth soon (western countries consumers have not enough for maintenance, mereover for spending or saving).

What is necessary for euro economies recovery is a combination of all the above mentioned, however if NOTHING makes the banks lend money, people and companies borrow, we will be facing a deeper depression which in turn will further slow BRIIC's countries growth ratio and will prolongue the poor freight market which has more capacity in tonnage than the physical market can digest.

Hoping also that same mistakes of the past - in derrivatives investments/options/futures/junk bonds  - will not be repeated in the following years risking a second tragety like Lehman brothers, and that Euro economies will stabilize
IN CONJUCTION WITH  BRIIC'S COUNTRIES GROWTH SUSTAINABILITY is the key market dynamics for freight rates rebound slowly, as any recovery process.
I would be delighted to share and hear your comments and thoughts in our effort  to understand the world tendencies and the future insights better.

In case you wish to add you or add a new e mail address to our lists please advise by return.
Sincerely yours,
Shipowners Trust International Corporation.Anastasios Maraslis
President
SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                 S.T.I.C                     Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.
S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.
+30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX)www.eshipownerstrust.com

'THE ASIAN TIGERS TRIUMPH'

Today, the Shipping World is undergoing, once again, the downturn trend of a shipping cycle.

Usually, In a shipping crisis the freight prevailing rate levels are far too low, for many ship owners, to pay their bank loans and their vessels’ daily running expenses.

Historically, in every shipping crisis, the average shipping company is struggling to survive, by lowering its running expenses and cutting its elastic costs to the bear minimum.

Additionally, in a shipping crisis like this, there are not enough cargoes for the sheer number of vessels, which have been ‘flooding’ the market in the previous good shipping years - new built vessels’ deliveries are still taking place, until today -

It is noteworthy that, the key region which is still ‘alive’ with dry bulk cargo movements, is the Asian region (PG-INDIA-SE ASIA and of course CHINA), the remaining part of the shipping world is sluggish, with very few DRY BULK commodities shipments, not even worth to mention.

Thus, prior we see an improvement in the freight rate levels, there is a need for tonnage capacity correction (many shipping professionals support the idea that the excess tonnage capacity should be laid up and older tonnage to take its toll for scrapping).

In such a critical period, we are experiencing these days, S.T.I.C , with global recognition, for superior dry bulk chartering and ship management services is an ally recognized and chosen by many small - medium size owners (in the number of vessels) for enhancing their presence and access to a qualitative and larger, cargo market share.

S.T.I.C has built an expertise and loyal clientele - the last 16 years- with direct access to more that 200 first class charterers and firm shipments, ranging from 22,000 mts up to 160,000 mts and a fleet of more than 60 modern dry bulk vessels, of similar size.

The list of services offered W/W include: Dry Bulk Chartering (exclusive or competitive), Ship Management, Ship Operation, Ship Finance and Hull & Machinery, P&I Insurance via S.T.I.C group of companies; Marasco Marine Ltd (www.marasco-marine.com), S&P brokerage, Bunkering, Crew Manning, Demolition and Iron Ore Trading.

We, here at S.T.I.C aspire to add value to YOUR company with responibility and professionalism.

Please contact us at; chartering@eshipownerstrust.com   for;Chartering Dept.
                                snp@eshipownerstrust.com              for;   S& P/Demolition Dept.
                                operations@eshipownerstrust.com   for;   Ship Operation/Ship 
                                                                                   Management & Post Fixtures Dept.
                                info@eshipownerstrust.com            for;   General/Admin.Dept.

S - Seeks Transparency.T - Takes Responsibility. I - Inspires. C - Communicates.

In case you wish to add you or add a new e mail address to our lists please advise by return.
Sincerely yours,
S.T.I.C
Promotion & Marketing Department.
SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION                  
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.
S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.
+30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX)www.eshipownerstrust.com
 

'WHAT CONSTITUTES CARGO DELIVERY’.

                       
                                 by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis
                                 S.T.I.C-President/Director

It should be common knowledge - regretfully it isn't for this reason I wrote this article -  in shipping business and practice that the carrier’s responsibility, for safe custody of the goods, comes to an end /cease as soon as the goods are discharged from the ship, AND OR ARE DELIVERED TO THE CONSIGNEE!  The Consignee, in turn, to take delivery of the goods must present the bill of lading.

The moment consignee presents the bill of lading, and the cargo is discharged, the carrier ceases to have responsibility to the cargo and ‘goods are so completely under the control of the consignee that he may do what he likes with them’ (British Shipowners v. Grimond (1876) 3 Rett.968,972).

In practice , upon the discharge of the goods from the ship they are frequently in the custody of agents or contractors rather than the shipowner.

Therefore owners and ship managers should bear the above always in mind and make quick decisions to avoid lost fixtures while waiting the obvious answer..... from their P&I legal department!
Sincerely yours,

S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.
Contact us at:
SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
         S.T.I.C
Shipping & Trading
OPERATION / DRY CARGO CHARTERING / S&P / TRADING
Phone: +30 210 4529500 - Fax: +30 210 4529505.
Mobiles: +30 6943 108283, +30 6932 201053, +30 6945 590744.
E-mail: chartering@eshipownerstrust.com (Chartering Dept.)
E-mail: operations@eshipownerstrust.com (Operations / Post Fixtures Depts.)
E-mail: dry@eshipownerstrust.com (Trading/S&P Depts.)
E-mail: info@eshipownerstrust.com (Admin Dept. /General)
S.T.I.C BUILDING | 3, VOUDOURI STR., | PIRAEUS 185 37 |