Hooray hooray, the Panamaxes clinched a point…

John Faraclas

The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) lost just five points earlier on today and now stands at 629; Geopolitics still sour and the London Yacht Show makes waves. John Faraclas’ brief market recap:

The Capes’ BCI  lost 12 points and now stands at 972…
The Panamaxes,  even with just one point plus, “made” the difference with the BPI now standing at 553 points!

Further losses for the Supras with the BSI losing 15 points and now reads 423…

Seven points down for the Handies’ BHSI now at 294 – as expected, lost the 300 points threshold…

Falling Wets, no surprise at all; the last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 824 and 640 – minus 19 and nine points respectively….

The WTI stood at US$ 53.66 at 23:00 GMT down from US$ 54.56 last night… 90 cents is 90 cents down!

There is much concern from all of Shipping’s stakeholders as we have reached very low levels both for the Dries and Wets. The gap is now 1,218 points on the BDI with that as of the end of December 2013 (when it stood at ,2,247 points)…

The Geopolitical aspects remain unchanged; in our view got worse:

MIGRANTS? Too much to bear for all…

The conflagration continues in the faulty line from Gib to Afghanistan and from the Caucuses to the Horn of Africa; no change!

The INF is over…

BREXIT now excites all on all sides of the equation with a determined Mrs. May to proceed for a democratic and just deal for all involved. We shall see the end result for all involved in this palaver! The whole thing is a both to blame collision – to use a shipping marine insurance term…

Greece and Turkey had high level talks in Ankara and tomorrow in Constantinople; again we all await to see respect to international law – if same exists and if same is been interpreted as it should; you dead well know what I mean…

Mind the Balkans; Putin’s Russia will not give up!

In the USA / China Trade War we cannot apply the maxim: War is good even for the warring ones… NO.-

Iran raises the stakes yet again with warring machines… Many different opinions there…

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Planet Ocean and the World of Shipping mourns Pericles S. Panagopoulos, a unique shipping man who begun this morning his journey to the Sea of Eternity; what a legacy!

He will always be remembered. Pioneerism at its best!

I spend 2017’s autumn – after reading his book “Pericles Panagopoulos, His Life and Shipping” ( Περικλής Παναγόπουλος – Βίος και Ναυτιλία) that my good old friend Alekos Papadopoulos gave me…  studied same; what an account! Worth to be in everybody’s office!

Blessed!

l to r: Lesley Robinson, Andrew Williams and Paul Tetlow

On another tone and note what a splash that was earlier on this evening at the top of 240 Blackfriars Road with the launching of London Yacht Show. 60 plus journalists and stakeholders were there enjoying amongst others champagne and excellent canapes before and after the presentations.  Ten questions were aired  and an interesting debate followed. Another great plus for the Square Mile and the UK at large! Good to see old friends and make new ones!

And another splash down town in Piraeus were the YSP – the Young Shipping Professionals had their Vassilopitta  at a full house at Speranza. The lucky punters were Chronis Perivolaris who won it 28 years ago whilst on a ship with his father; the other one by  Chrisostomos Bekakos from Seatraders. Olivia Paranos did …the rituals …cutting the cake!

l to r: Lia Tziarou from Seascope Hellas, Maria Mavroudi, Eleni Doumeni from Spanopoulos Group with other YSP members.

Great job done by her  and Theodore Kyritsis in organising the event! The prize for the BOD winner,  Chronis Perivolaris was a three-day get away and stay to the butterfly island, Astypalaia, at the Kallichoron Boutique Hotel, an offer by Maria Mavroudi and the Kallichoron team. Excellent.

That’s all for tonight, remain on guard from any actions emanating from Pirates, Terrorists, Criminals and Business Hooligans whatsoever wherever you are on Planet Ocean.

Happy Chinese New Year!