Chartering

• The commercial activity of securing employment for vessels (or chartering vessels for cargo) by negotiating contract terms, freight rates, and durations, ensuring maximum revenue and optimal fleet utilization.

• Market Intelligence & Rate Forecasting: Continuously monitoring global supply and demand dynamics to accurately forecast freight rates and position the fleet competitively.
• Charter Party Negotiation: Expertly negotiating the Charter Party (CP) agreement's complex legal and commercial clauses (e.g., laytime, demurrage, payment).
• Vessel/Cargo Matching: Efficiently matching available vessels to suitable cargoes based on size, type, route, and scheduling constraints.
• Voyage Optimization & Planning: Utilizing advanced software to model and select the most profitable voyage routes, considering bunker costs and port efficiency.
• Time Charter (TC) Management: Securing long-term time charters to provide stable, predictable revenue streams and cover operational costs.
• Voyage Charter (VC) Execution: Managing single-voyage contracts, including laytime calculations and proactive management of weather-related delays.
• Bunker Procurement Strategy: Coordinating with technical teams to secure fuel (bunkers) at the most advantageous ports and prices along the vessel's route.
• Demurrage & Despatch Management: Accurately calculating and efficiently collecting demurrage (penalties for delay) and despatch (rewards for fast turnaround).
• Post-Fixture Operations: Managing all commercial operations after the CP is signed, including payment collection, documentation, and compliance checks.
• Broking Network Utilization: Maintaining strong, active relationships with a global network of reputable shipbrokers to access immediate market opportunities.
• Counterparty Credit Risk Assessment: Vetting charterers to ensure financial stability and mitigate the risk of payment default.

• Freight Hedging Strategy: Utilizing Freight Forward Agreements (FFAs) or other financial tools to hedge exposure against adverse movements in freight rates.

• Vessel Vetting for Trade: Ensuring the chartered vessel meets all necessary commercial vetting requirements (e.g., Q88, HVPQ) for trading in sensitive markets.