A long trek of Greek shipping companies has been leaving Piraeus in recent years for the posh suburbs to the north and south of Athens.

Smart Tankers, however, lives and breathes shipping right in the heart of the port city — and that is just the way it should be, its people say.

“Lose the harbour and you lose all the atmosphere and mentality Greek shipping people should be cherishing as the apple of their eye,” says Chris Leounakis, chartering manager of the company that operates two tankers and wants to expand in its core VLCC business.