How to Succeed in Dry Bulk

Hey guys, I'm new to shipping and to this forum.

I've been researching the space at work for a little while and have some ideas / questions I'd like to run by you. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are.

1. Despite the recent surge in dry bulk rates, this seems like an amazingly attractive time to be buying physical ships.
2. Let's say I want to go raise some money to buy a ship and start a shipping company. Could a 1 ship outfit get any business? How are these things usually financed? Do you have to be located in a major port city?
3. An alternative to buying the physical ship is to buy a bunch of stocks (maybe once they come back down to earth). Do you have any favorites? I think Genco and Eagle are really interesting. They're probably going to get out of these near-term issues, until amortization kicks in, which is a big risk. Will be interesting once earnings comes out.
4. I'm not directly involved in shipping, let's say I want to get more directly involved (e.g. working for a Genco or Eagle, or working as a ship broker or I-banker) - what's the best way to do this? Any thoughts on the best of the best? Who's the best in ship finance?

Thanks!