“We believe this is a good time to put the foot on the accelerator. There is opportunity.”

Craig Taylor wants to put the pedal to the metal on expansion.

Ocean Shipbrokers grows London S&P team

“The obstacle to converting this contract into tankers depends on SPP’s ability to get a new owner for the yard.”

A source reveals a potential hold-up for IRISL on new tankers.

Iranians plan close to $2.5bn-worth of orders at Korean yards

“I don’t think it’s a real number.”

Peter Georgiopoulos delves into advanced mathematics to explain a very cheap tanker order by John Fredriksen.

“Have newbuilding prices softened, yeah, they’ve softened. But then again, there has been no ordering.”

Peter G again, coming up with a deep philosophical poser. If a tree falls in a forest, is Schrodinger’s cat dead or alive? Or something like that.

Fredriksen tees up secondhand deals as Jinhai newbuilding talks continue

“I have considered the evidence available at this trial for and against the allegations of torture, and the limitations of that evidence, including the absence — emphasised by HNA — of medical evidence. Having done so, I find that torture cannot be ruled out as a reason for the confessions.”

Justice Knowles can’t quite make up his mind on shocking allegations of torture in a Chinese charter row.

Shagang court win eclipsed by torture allegations 

“None of the accusers appeared in court to make these allegations. Instead hearsay was repeated by a witness who the judge found had sought to protect himself and who was ‘unconvincing’.”

HNA has its say.

HNA responds to ruling in London High court

““In my case, I didn’t want to be doing the same thing I had been doing for the past 20 years. I wanted a fresh start.”

Ince & Co lawyer Nick Shepherd is moving on. Does this ring any bells, Arsenal fans?

“I am leaving Greece with a great deal of regret. It’s warm, you are always looking at boats and ships, and it’s a market with a real buzz that lives and breathes shipping.”

Shepherd again. He's moving to London, readers.

Shipping flock follows Shepherd to Wikborg Rein

“Why should Gunsan be closed down when its facility is the newest? The average age of the workers is much younger and the yard is also a lot more spacious than our Ulsan shipyard

An HHI official defends the Gunsan yard.

Hyundai dismisses Gunsan closure talk as ‘groundless’

“They may find a buyer but time really is not on their side. That fleet gets older by the day. To be honest, it looked a lot better a couple of years ago.”

A shipowner sums up the ongoing sale of the OSG fleet. The mechanical clock is ticking.

Market talk hits fever pitch over OSG international fleet sale

“Some people liked it, some think I’m an idiot.”

Analyst Amit Mehrotra sums up a mixed reaction to his new tanker merger formula.

“I think Amit is young and naive in wanting shipping to grow up. Meanwhile, shipping is older but wants to stay young and irrational. In a funny way I applaud him for saying what he says — let’s see how time treats him.”

One veteran executive hints that shipping might just not be ready for radical new ideas.

Mehrotra advises tanker owners to ‘flout convention and merge’