Three Things Buyers Normally Consider When Shopping for Used Bulk Cargo Ships

Posted by Marc Ridenour on February 19th, 2020

Somewhere around one-fifth of all cargo ships in service worldwide are designed to transport bulk, dry cargo. Ships for sale by existing owners that fit this description often attract the attention of value-minded buyers. Companies looking into the used bulk carriers that are available at any given time tend to focus on a few especially important issues.

Determining Which Cargo Ship to Buy

Large cargo ships are typically meant to provide decades of reliable service before needing to be retired. Of course, a ship's first owner might not need to keep it in operation for that long despite having invested a great deal of money in purchasing it.

Because of this, reliable dry cargo vessels regularly come onto the secondary market, with specialized brokers most often handling their marketing and sale. Buyers who are interested in bulk vessels for sale typically emphasize details like:



Capacity. The gross weight tonnage, or GWT, that a cargo ship is rated to transport is generally seen as its single most significant characteristic. A GWT too low to accommodate a business's routine needs can make a given ship nearly useless even if it excels in other respects. Transporting bulk cargo, though, tends to imply a certain amount of flexibility, since it can so easily be broken up into multiple loads. All else being equal, however, it will normally be best to buy a ship that will not make this necessary.

Safety. Even an innocuous bulk cargo like wheat or cement can give rise to real difficulties in the course of transportation. Loose, granular types of dry cargo, for instance, are prone to shifting while at sea if effective measures are not taken to prevent the movement. That can put an entire cargo ship in danger, with many related accidents having happened over the years. Ships designed to carry bulk cargo almost always feature safety systems that are intended to reduce or eliminate such risks.

Loading and unloading. Moving many thousands of tons of cargo on or off a ship can take a long time, even under ideal conditions. Bulk carriers that are designed to facilitate and streamline the loading and unloading of cargo tend to cost less than others to operate.

The Perfect Addition to Any Fleet

Companies in the market for bulk carriers tend to focus on issues like these when assessing the available options. Choosing an especially appropriate used cargo vessel will allow a business to make the most of the required investment in every case.

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Marc Ridenour

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Marc Ridenour
Joined: February 19th, 2020
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