Decks and Deals Weekly #40
The period 20–25 April 2026 produced the most intense maritime standoff since the tanker wars of the 1980s: the Hormuz blockade turned fully kinetic, Brent crossed $100, and six vessels were seized
Atlantic pulse, Pacific undercurrents: a strategic outlook for Ultramax & Handy tonnage
A strategic snapshot of Ultramax and Handysize markets based on the week ending 24 April 2026, highlighting tightening supply, regional divergence, and emerging opportunities across key global dry bulk basins
Firm sentiment, limited fixing: a closer look at the Ultramax and Handysize markets
Sentiment strengthens while fixing activity lags in Ultramax and Handysize markets, based on insights from the week that ended on 17 April 2026, revealing a cautiously improving yet uneven global dry bulk landscape
Return from the Orthodox Christian Easter holidays with an upward trend
The dry bulk market rebounded strongly after Orthodox Easter, with gains across all vessel sizes, based on data from the week that closed on April 17, 2026
Decks and Deals Weekly #39
April 13–19 2026 produced the Hormuz reopening that lasted thirty hours Iran declared the strait open oil fell 9 percent tankers moved and by Saturday morning Tehran had reversed course leaving markets wrong-footed
From ship to shareholder: bridging operational excellence with investment strategy
Operational decisions at sea are no longer technical choices alone — they are financial drivers shaping asset performance, risk exposure, and long-term investment value in modern maritime strategy
When flows move before the data does: inside the market that no longer waits for confirmation
In modern energy shipping, markets are increasingly driven by behavior and perceived risk rather than confirmed data, reshaping flows, pricing mechanisms, and strategic positioning before statistics can validate the shift
The inheritance of silence: MSC Aponte and the end of strategic neutrality
On 13 April 2026, the Aponte family confirmed what insiders already knew: ownership of the world’s largest container line had formally changed hands. The announcement was brief. The stakes are not
The maritime interregnum: history, disorder and the limits of corporate wisdom
Federico Bordonaro’s account of the Pax Maritima’s collapse is clinically accurate and well-sourced. His prescription, however, treats a structural fracture in the global maritime order with a personnel decision
Between light and sea: Easter and the quiet resurrection of humanity at sea
A reflective exploration of Easter through the lens of maritime life, where resilience, uncertainty, and transformation at sea mirror the deeper human journey from darkness into light