Regulation increasingly dominates the life of the shipowner, but as our special correspondent writes, success as a shipowner still depends on sticking to the basic principles.

Buried deep in the rabbit warren of the internet is a series of articles entitled ‘How To Become A Shipowner’. Whilst largely omitting the key issue of how you raise the initial capital required for such a venture, the existence of the piece reflects the fascination the profession of shipowner holds for people from all...