Ship chartering services
Ship chartering services, from cargo to fixture.
Charter a ship for your cargo, or find employment for your vessel. Our brokers arrange voyage and time charters and negotiate the fixture; our AI-supported system matches ships and cargoes in seconds and ranks the best options on the whole voyage.
- Voyage and time charters
- Single voyages, trip time charters, periods and contracts of affreightment.
- Both sides of the market
- Cargo owners and charterers looking for ships, owners and operators looking for cargo.
- Matched in seconds
- Size, type, gear, ports, draft and laycan checked at once, before a ship is proposed.
What ship chartering means
Chartering is hiring a ship, or part of one, to carry cargo by sea. A cargo owner charters a ship to move a parcel; a shipowner charters the ship out to earn freight or hire. The charter party records the terms. Most charters are fixed through shipbrokers, who know which ships are open and what the market is paying.
The charters we arrange
| Charter | You pay | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Voyage charter | Freight per tonne or lump sum | You have one cargo to move |
| Trip time charter | Daily hire plus voyage costs | You want to control a single trip |
| Period time charter | Daily hire plus voyage costs | You need a ship for months |
| Contract of affreightment | Freight per tonne across shipments | You ship regular volumes |
Cargoes and ships
We charter for tanker and liquid bulk cargoes where a charter suits, for dry bulk, and for project and breakbulk cargo: tankers, handysize to panamax bulk carriers, and general cargo and multipurpose ships. The tanker, dry bulk and project cargo pages go into what we check for each.
The cheapest rate is not always the cheapest voyage. We compare ships on the whole voyage: ballast, port time, gear and risk.
How a charter runs with us
- You send the cargo or the open position, in a minute or by email
- We check the details and ask for anything missing
- We screen ships or cargoes on fit and compare the voyage economics
- Your broker negotiates freight or hire and terms
- We issue the fixture recap and follow the voyage to discharge
Where we work
Our desk is in Istanbul and we are closest to the Black Sea, the Turkish Straits and the Mediterranean, with cargoes and ships moving onwards to the Red Sea, the Middle East, West Africa and Northern Europe.
Questions, answered
- How do I charter a ship for my cargo?
- Send us the commodity, quantity, load and discharge ports and laycan. A broker checks the details, finds suitable ships, compares the offers and negotiates the fixture with the owner.
- What is the difference between chartering and shipping?
- Chartering hires a whole ship, or a large part of one, for your cargo on negotiated terms. Liner shipping books space for smaller consignments on scheduled services.
- How much does it cost to charter a ship?
- It depends on the ship size, route, ports, laycan and market. A broker gives an indication for your route and dates; our guide to charter costs shows how a cost per tonne is built.
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Matched in seconds, negotiated by a broker
Send us a cargo or an open vessel. Our system matches it in seconds, and your broker comes back with the best options.