Handysize Bulk Carrier: Size, Cargoes and Chartering
Handysize bulk carriers are the small, flexible workhorses of dry bulk shipping. They reach ports that bigger ships cannot, and they carry the parcels that do not fill a larger hold.
What is a Handysize ship
Handysize is the smallest standard size class of bulk carriers. The usual range is about 10,000 to 40,000 DWT (deadweight tonnes, the weight of cargo, fuel and stores a ship can carry). Most Handysize ships are about 150 to 190 metres long and have five holds. Many of them are "geared": they have their own cranes on deck, so they can load and discharge in ports with no shore equipment.
Why charterers choose Handysize
The first reason is access. A Handysize ship has a shallow draft and a short length, so it can enter small river ports, island ports and older terminals that have draft or berth limits. The second reason is the size of the parcel. If your cargo is 10,000 to 35,000 tonnes, a Handysize ship fits it without paying for empty space in a larger ship. The third reason is flexibility: many Handysize ships carry several different cargoes and can load two or three parts of a cargo in different ports.
Typical cargoes
Handysize ships carry grain, rice, sugar, fertilizers, cement, steel products, forest products such as logs and wood pellets, salt, scrap and many minerals. See our guides to grain and agri cargoes, steel and breakbulk cargo and cement carriers. Cargoes that need clean holds, such as grain, are usually inspected before loading.
Handysize compared with the next size
A Supramax carries more cargo per voyage and usually costs less per tonne on a long route, but it needs a deeper port. If the ports are small or the parcel is below about 30,000 tonnes, Handysize is often the better match. If both could work, ask ship operators for offers with both sizes and compare.
What to prepare before you post a request
Write the cargo and the quantity, the loading and discharging ports, the laycan (the dates the ship must be ready to load), and whether the ports have cranes or the ship must bring its own. Say if the cargo is sensitive to smell or moisture. The clearer the request, the faster ship operators can answer.
Voyage or time charter
Most single cargoes are fixed on a voyage charter: one cargo, set ports, a freight rate. Charterers with regular shipments can use a time charter and pay a daily hire for a period. Read time charter vs voyage charter to see which fits.
Post your ship request
Shipfixing connects charterers and ship operators. We scan for suitable ships. Voyage requests for ships below 10,000 DWT need no signup and no membership.
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