Chartering desk · Tonnage and cargo

A ship chartering desk that answers with named ships.

Charterers send us a stem or a vessel requirement; owners and operators send us open positions. We put the two together, screen every counterparty before an offer goes out, and reply by email with a named ship, her position and a freight or hire idea, not a general level. Dry cargo from Supramax to coaster, MPP and heavy-lift, deck barges and tugs; and on the wet side product, crude, chemical, gas, bitumen, vegetable oil and coastal tankers.

I need a ship →I have open tonnage →I have a cargo to price →

Dry cargo vessel types we charter

Supramax / Ultramax

50–65,000 dwt geared bulkers for coal, grain, fertilizer and minerals

50,000–65,000 dwt · 4 × 30–36 t cranes, usually with grabs

Handysize / Handymax

25–50,000 dwt geared ships for bagged cargo, steels, grains and minor bulks

25,000–50,000 dwt · 4 × 25–35 t cranes; some with grabs

Panamax / Kamsarmax

65–85,000 dwt gearless bulkers for coal, ore, grain and mineral cargoes between equipped ports

65,000–85,000 dwt · Gearless

MPP / Heavy-lift

Multipurpose and heavy-lift ships for project cargo, steel, machinery and out-of-gauge units

5,000–20,000 dwt; heavy-lift 8,000–30,000 dwt · 2–3 cranes, 60–900 t each, combinable

Coasters

1,500–12,000 dwt coasters and general cargo ships for grain, steel, bagged cargo and short-sea trades

1,500–12,000 dwt · Gearless or 1–2 cranes; river-sea to 6.5 m draft

Barges & tugs

Flat-top barges, LCTs and tugs for project modules, equipment and coastal cargo in the Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and Southeast Asia

3,000–12,000 dwt; decks 60–100 m · Deck 10–20 t/m²; tugs 2,000–5,000 BHP

Capesize / VLOC

Gearless bulkers of around 180,000 dwt and very large ore carriers of up to about 400,000 dwt for iron ore, bauxite and coal between deep-water terminals

About 100,000–200,000 dwt (Capesize); up to about 400,000 dwt (VLOC) · Gearless

300 ft tug & barge sets

Indonesian-flag 270, 300 and 330 ft coal barges with 2,000–3,200 BHP tugs, on freight charter per tonne or on time charter

270 ft ≈ 5,000 t · 300 ft 7,500–9,000 t · 330 ft ≈ 10,000 t coal per barge · Towed flat-top barge, 12–14 ft sideboards; tug 2,000–3,200 BHP, 25–42 t bollard pull; Indonesian flag, BKI class

Tankers and gas carriers

The wet-cargo side of the desk has its own page: tanker chartering.

Small tankers

2,000–10,000 dwt IMO II/III tankers for base oil, methanol, palm oil and clean products within Southeast Asia

2,000–10,000 dwt

MR / LR product tankers

Medium and long range product tankers for gasoil, jet, gasoline and naphtha cargoes and period employment

MR 45,000–55,000 dwt · LR1 55,000–80,000 dwt · LR2 80,000–120,000 dwt

Crude tankers

Aframax, Suezmax and VLCC tonnage for crude and fuel oil cargoes on voyage and time charter

Aframax 80,000–120,000 dwt · Suezmax 120,000–200,000 dwt · VLCC 200,000–320,000 dwt

Chemical parcel tankers

IMO II stainless and coated parcel tankers of 10,000–50,000 dwt for chemicals, solvents and acids between regions

10,000–50,000 dwt

Gas carriers

Pressurised and semi-refrigerated LPG carriers, VLGCs and LNG carriers on spot and period charter

Pressurised 3,000–7,000 cbm · Semi-ref 7,000–22,000 cbm · VLGC 80,000+ cbm · LNG 125,000–180,000 cbm

Bitumen tankers

Heated bitumen carriers of 3,000–15,000 dwt for bulk bitumen and asphalt from Oman, Fujairah and the Med to East Africa, India and West Africa

3,000–15,000 dwt

Vegetable oil tankers

Food-grade IMO II/III tankers for palm, sunflower and soybean oil parcels from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Black Sea

3,000–40,000 dwt

Bunker / coastal tankers

1,000–10,000 dwt bunker barges and coastal product tankers for port supply, coastal distribution and short-sea parcels

1,000–10,000 dwt

How the desk works

A stem or a requirement reaches us by email or through the forms on this site. Before it goes anywhere we settle the points owners ask first: rates and laytime terms, the charterer of record, the piece list on project cargo, the draft at a river port, the last three cargoes and the vetting on a tanker. Then it goes to the owners on our board whose ships fit, and only to them. We come back to the charterer with named candidates, positions and an indication, and to the owner only when a cargo fits the ship.

What we do not do

Circulate your stem or your position to a list. Each goes only to the counterparties it fits.
Introduce parties to each other. The desk stays in the middle until a fixture is agreed.
Work any cargo, vessel, counterparty or route subject to UN, US, EU, UK or Swiss sanctions. Every counterparty and every ship is screened before an offer.
Follow up. If you do not reply, we assume the answer is no.

Lanes we work most

Indonesia and the Arabian Gulf into India and East Africa; the Black Sea and Danube into the Marmara, the East Med and Egypt; Egypt and Turkey to West Africa; China ex Qingdao, Shanghai and Tianjin to Southeast Asia, the Gulf and Africa; and small tanker parcels between Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Positions and stems to desk-a005f1@in.laycandesk.com; anything else to hello@laycandesk.com. Email only: several brokers work each file, and the thread is the record.

Lanes we work

Oman to India

Limestone, gypsum, aggregates, urea and sulphur from the Omani coast into Gujarat on geared Handysize to Supramax tonnage

Sohar / Duqm / Salalah → Kandla / Mundra / Hazira · Handysize to Supramax, MPP

Egypt to West Africa

Bagged salt, cement and clinker, gypsum and bagged fertilizer from the Egyptian Med coast to the Gulf of Guinea on geared Handysize and Handymax tonnage

Alexandria / Abu Qir / Damietta / El Arish → Conakry / Abidjan / Tema / Lagos / Onne · geared Handysize, Handymax, coasters

Turkiye to East Africa bitumen

Bulk bitumen on heated tankers and drummed bitumen on multipurpose ships from the Turkish refinery coast into the Indian Ocean

Aliaga / Izmit / Iskenderun / Mersin → Mombasa / Dar es Salaam / Colombo · bitumen tankers, MPP and general cargo

Indonesia to India coal

Thermal coal loaded by barge at Sumatra and Kalimantan anchorages into the Indian west and east coasts on Supramax and Panamax tonnage

Meulaboh / Sumatra / Kalimantan anchorages → Hazira / Bhavnagar / Krishnapatnam / Paradip · Supramax to Panamax

Danube and Black Sea coasters

Grains, rapeseed, sunflower seed and steel on 3,000 to 12,000 dwt coasters and river-sea ships, any quantity on the draft of the day

Izmail / Reni / Galati / Constanta / Poti → Marmara / East Med / Adriatic · coasters and river-sea ships 3,000–12,000 dwt

Gulf to India sulphur and fertilizer

Granular sulphur and urea from the Omani and Saudi Red Sea plants into the Indian phosphate and fertilizer ports on Supramax to Panamax tonnage

Sohar / Sur / Duqm / Yanbu → Paradip / Vizag / Kandla / Mundra · Supramax to Panamax

Sumatra to Japan biomass

Palm kernel shell and wood pellets loaded by barge at the Sumatra and Kalimantan river anchorages for Japanese and Korean biomass power plants on Handysize and Supramax tonnage

Muara Sabak / Palembang / Dumai / Pontianak / Belawan → Japan / Korea · Handysize and Supramax, barge loading

North China breakbulk

Steel coil and plates, project cargo, slag and anchor chain from the north China steel ports on multipurpose, heavy-lift and geared Handysize tonnage

Qingdao / Tianjin / Caofeidian / Penglai → Gulf / Indian subcontinent / Southeast Asia · MPP, heavy-lift, geared Handysize

Malaysia to Japan PKS

Certified palm kernel shell loaded alongside at the Malaysian ports for Japanese biomass power plants on geared Handysize and Supramax tonnage

Kuantan / Port Klang / Pasir Gudang / Lahad Datu / Sandakan / Bintulu → Japan · geared Handysize and Supramax, alongside loading

Vietnam to Bangladesh clinker

Portland cement clinker in 50,000 to 60,000 tonne bulk cargoes on geared Supramax and Ultramax tonnage for outer anchorage lighterage into Bangladeshi grinding mills

Cam Pha / Nghi Thiet / Hon Gai / Nghi Son → Chittagong / Kutubdia OPL · Geared Supramax & Ultramax 50,000–60,000 MT

Chattogram to Vietnam mill scale

Bulk mill scale on geared Handysize tonnage from Bangladeshi shipbreaking and rolling mills into Vietnamese blast furnace steel complexes

Chattogram → Dung Quat / Phu My · Geared Handysize 25,000–32,000 MT, 4 x 30t cranes

Turkey to Peru steel

Deformed rebar, continuous casting billets and wire rod on geared Handysize tonnage via the Panama Canal for Peruvian infrastructure and mining

Nemrut Bay / Dilovasi / Iskenderun → Callao / Pisco (TPP) · Geared Handysize 20,000–35,000 MT via Panama Canal

Norway to India olivine

Natural high-magnesium olivine sand and rock flux from Sibelco Aheim into Indian blast furnaces and foundries on geared Supramax tonnage via the Cape

Åheim (Raubergvik) → Tuticorin / Kandla / Mundra / Hazira · Geared Supramax 40,000–55,000 MT via Cape

Misurata to Izmir scrap

HMS 1&2 and shredded steel scrap on coasters and mini-bulkers from Libyan free zones to Turkish electric arc furnaces

Misurata Free Zone → Nemrut Bay / Aliaga (Izmir) · Coasters & Mini-Bulkers 5,000–12,000 MT

South Africa to China minerals

Lumpy chrome ore, magnesite, and ferroalloys on Supramax and Panamax tonnage from South African deepwater bulk terminals to Chinese stainless steel hubs

Coega / Richards Bay / Durban → Tianjin / Qinzhou / Zhanjiang · Supramax to Panamax 50,000–75,000 MT

Kalimantan to Sulawesi tug and barge

Indonesian-flag 270, 300 and 330 ft tug-and-barge sets carrying thermal coal from South and East Kalimantan jetties across the Makassar Strait to the Sulawesi nickel parks

Tanah Bumbu / Kotabaru / Mahakam / Berau → Morowali / Bahodopi / Bungku Barat / Kendari · Indonesian-flag 270–330 ft tug and barge

Abu Zenima gypsum outbound

Natural gypsum rock for cement plants loaded at the Abu Zenima mining port in Sinai on Handysize and coaster tonnage, northbound through Suez to Mediterranean receivers or south through the Red Sea

Abu Zenima (Gulf of Suez) → Chekka / Benghazi / Yanbu / Chattogram · coaster to Handysize, 5,000–30,000 t

Straits 13–17k dwt tankers

IMO II and III coated and stainless tankers of 13,000 to 17,000 dwt shuttling clean products, base oils, vegetable oils, oleochemicals and methanol from the Straits refineries and palm terminals to the regional ports MRs cannot use

Jurong / Pengerang / Melaka / Pasir Gudang / Kertih → Nha Be / Go Dau / Hai Phong / Bangkok / Batangas / Sihanoukville · IMO II/III, 13,000–17,000 dwt

Kolkata to Bangladesh IBP barge

Granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, stone chips and other bulk in 1,000 to 3,000 tonne river barges from the Hooghly to the Bangladeshi cement grinders under the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, with the Chattogram and Mongla sea route as the alternative

Kolkata Dock / Garden Reach / Budge Budge / Haldia → Narayanganj / Muktarpur / Pangaon / Khulna / Mongla · protocol river barges 1,000–3,000 t

Southeast Asia to Caribbean palm oil

RBD palm olein, stearin, CPO and palm kernel oil parcels from Port Klang, Pasir Gudang and Dumai to Haina, Caucedo, Kingston, Point Lisas and Georgetown on food-grade parcel tankers and in flexitanks

Port Klang / Pasir Gudang / Dumai → Haina / Caucedo / Kingston / Point Lisas / Georgetown · IMO II/III parcel tanker, flexitank

West Africa to Pakistan soybeans

Non-GM soybeans from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Benin to Pakistani solvent extractors, in 20-foot containers of 20 to 22 tonnes and, where a stem can be built, in bulk into Port Qasim

Apapa / Tin Can / Lomé / Cotonou / Tema → Karachi / Port Qasim · 20-ft containers, Handysize bulk where a stem exists

Oman limestone to India and Bangladesh

Steel-flux and cement-grade limestone from the Salalah, Duqm and Sohar quarries in Supramax and Handysize lots to Indian steel and cement ports and to Bangladeshi grinders through Kutubdia and Chattogram outer anchorage lighterage

Raysut-Salalah / Duqm / Sohar → Kandla / Hazira / Paradip / Vizag / Kutubdia / Chattogram OPL · Geared Handysize to Ultramax

Nigeria urea to West Africa

Granular urea from the Lagos and Port Harcourt plants on short-sea Handysize, MPP and coaster tonnage to Ivorian, Ghanaian, Senegalese and Cameroonian blenders, bulk with quay bagging or bagged in the hold

Lekki / Onne → Abidjan / Tema / Dakar / Douala / Kribi · Handysize, MPP, coaster · 3,000–30,000 MT

Cargoes from the freight side

Steel breakbulk

Hot-rolled coil, plates, billets and rebar bundles on MPP, Handysize and Supramax tonnage

Steel coil, plates, billets and rebar · MPP, Handysize, Supramax · 600–35,000 MT

Bagged fertilizer

Urea, DAP and ammonium sulphate in 50 kg and jumbo bags on geared Handysize to Supramax tonnage

Urea, DAP, ammonium sulphate · Handysize to Supramax · 5,000–30,000 MT

Limestone and aggregates

Grab-loaded Supramax and Handymax stems of limestone, gypsum, crushed stone and boulders from Oman to India and Bangladesh

Limestone, gypsum, crushed stone, boulders · Handymax and Supramax · 30,000–60,000 MT

Bagged rice and sugar

25 and 50 kg bags on geared Handysize and Handymax tonnage from Karachi, Kandla, Thailand and Brazil to the Red Sea, East Africa and the Philippines

Rice and sugar in 25/50 kg bags · Handysize and Handymax · 10,000–45,000 MT

Bitumen freight

Hot bulk on heated bitumen tankers at 150–160 °C, or drums, jumbo bags and bitutainers on MPP and in containers

Bitumen hot bulk, drums, jumbo bags, bitutainers · Bitumen tankers, MPP, coasters · 2,000–15,000 MT

Coal and petcoke

Supramax and Panamax stems of thermal coal and petroleum coke, from Indonesian anchorages and the US Gulf to India, China and Türkiye

Thermal coal and petcoke · Supramax, Ultramax, Panamax, Kamsarmax · 50,000–80,000 MT

Project cargo

Transformers, steel structures and out-of-gauge units on MPP, heavy-lift ships and deck barges, fixed on the piece list

Project pieces, transformers, structures, chain · MPP, heavy-lift, deck barges · 100–700 t pieces, up to 30,000 cbm lots

Biomass and pellets

Palm kernel shell and wood pellets in 20,000–35,000 MT parcels from Sumatran river anchorages and Vietnam to Japan and Korea

Palm kernel shell and wood pellets · Handysize and Supramax · 20,000–35,000 MT

Scrap metal

HMS, shredded and plate scrap in bulk on coasters, Handysize and Supramax; copper, aluminium and motor scrap in 20 and 40 ft containers

HMS, shredded, plate, non-ferrous · Coasters, Handysize, Supramax, containers · 22–26 t boxes to 40,000 MT stems

LNG carriers

Conventional 160,000 and 174,000 cbm LNG carriers, medium and small-scale ships and FSRUs on spot voyage, time charter and multi-year charter

LNG · Conventional 160,000–174,000 cbm, medium and small-scale, FSRU · LNGVOY and ShellLNGTime

Crude oil tankers

VLCC, Suezmax and Aframax crude stems on Worldscale voyage terms, time charter and COA

Crude oil · VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax · 500,000–2,000,000 bbl

Iron ore

Iron ore fines, lump, pellets and concentrate on Capesize and VLOC tonnage from Brazil, Australia, Guinea and Canada, and on Supramax and Panamax from India and smaller ports

Iron ore fines, lump, pellets, concentrate · Capesize, VLOC, Panamax, Supramax

Grain

Wheat, corn and soybeans in bulk on Panamax, Kamsarmax and Supramax tonnage from the Americas, the Black Sea and Australia

Wheat, corn, soybeans · Panamax, Kamsarmax, Supramax · Americas, Black Sea, Australia

Bauxite and alumina

Guinea bauxite to China on Capesize by barge transhipment, Australian and Brazilian bauxite, and alumina on Supramax tonnage

Bauxite and alumina · Capesize, Panamax, Supramax · Guinea, Australia, Brazil

Clinker and cement

Clinker, bulk cement, GGBFS and fly ash on geared bulkers and pneumatic cement carriers from Indonesia, Egypt, Viet Nam, Türkiye, Japan and India

Clinker, bulk cement, GGBFS, fly ash · Handysize, Supramax, cement carriers

Bulk fertilizer

Bulk urea, DAP, MAP, potash and phosphate rock on Handysize to Panamax tonnage from Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Canada

Urea, DAP, MAP, TSP, potash, phosphate rock · Handysize to Panamax

Salt and sulphur

Solar and rock salt from Australia, Mexico, Chile, India and Egypt, and granular sulphur from Canada and Central Asia, on Handysize to Supramax and larger bulkers

Solar and rock salt, granular sulphur · Handysize, Supramax, Panamax and larger

GBFS slag

Unground GBFS on geared Handysize to Ultramax tonnage from Indian east coast, Chinese and Japanese steelworks to cement grinders, and the river-barge leg into Bangladesh

GBFS slag · Handysize to Ultramax, IBP river barge · 1,000–61,500 MT

Methanol and chemical parcels

IMO type 2 and 3 parcels of 1,000 to 20,000 tonnes on coated and stainless chemical tankers from Salalah, Sohar, Labuan, Brunei, Trinidad and the US Gulf into South and Southeast Asia

Methanol, MEG, DEG, solvents · Chemical parcel tanker, small chemical tanker, MR · 1,000–20,000 MT

LPG parcels South Asia

Propane and butane parcels of 2,000 to 23,000 tonnes on pressurised, semi-refrigerated and mid-size gas carriers into Port Qasim, the Indian west coast, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Oman and the US Gulf

Propane and butane · Pressurised, semi-ref, MGC and VLGC · 2,000–44,000 MT

rPET bales and flakes

Baled PET bottles, hot-washed flakes and rPET pellets in 40-foot containers, and 500 to 1,000 tonne part cargoes on break-bulk sailings, from the UK, EU and Pakistan to spinners in Türkiye, India and Pakistan

PET bales, flakes, pellets · 40' containers, break-bulk part cargo · 20–1,000 MT lots

Bentonite and barite

Raw bentonite lumps and processed powder from Kandla and Mundra, barite from Morocco and India, on geared Handysize and Supramax bulkers, MPP ships and in containers to drilling hubs, bleaching-earth plants and foundries

Bentonite lumps and powder, barite · Handysize, Supramax, MPP, containers · 500–57,000 MT