Ship Chartering

What this hub covers

Ship chartering is the commercial agreement that puts a cargo on a vessel: who hires whom, who pays for fuel and port costs, how fast the ship must load and discharge, and what the freight or hire is worth. This hub explains the chartering of dry bulk and breakbulk tonnage from first principles, from the shape of each charter down to the clauses that decide who carries the cost when a voyage runs late.

The foundation is the charter party, the contract that sits under every fixture. From there the three mainstream structures diverge: the voyage charter, where the owner is paid a freight rate per tonne and keeps the operating risk; the time charter, where the charterer pays hire per day and directs the ship’s employment; and the trip charter, a time charter for a single voyage. The chartering process page traces a fixture from first inquiry to signed recap.

Who it is for and where to start

These pages are written for cargo owners, traders, and operators who need to read a recap, a laytime statement, or a freight idea without guessing at the terms. Each page defines one concept, contrasts it with the terms it is most often confused with, and links to the related clauses.

• New to chartering: read the charter party, then the voyage charter.
• Pricing a voyage: the freight rate and the voyage estimate.
• Where time and money meet: laytime, laycan, demurrage, and dispatch.

When you are ready to fix, our desk reads the market and structures the charter with you. Tell us about your cargo and a broker will respond the same business day.