It is par for the course for public shipping executives to “talk their own book” on quarterly earnings conference calls.

But Ardmore Shipping chief executive Anthony Gurnee drew some attention last week not by doing that, but by essentially talking up ships he does not have.

Gurnee made the case that it is a good time to buy somewhat older MR product tankers that pre-date the most modern “eco” tonnage, and even the “eco-modified” vessels in Ardmore’s fleet.