Essentially, the operations department is the main coordinator between the owners of the vessels (the “Owners”), the company’s departments, the vessels under management, the charterers, and all third parties involved with the ships (Ship agents, ship-chandlers, bunkering suppliers, shippers, receivers, stevedores, etc.). Among other things, it is the duty of the operations department to provide post-fixture support to the vessels, to issue voyage instructions, to make sure that the ships perform as per the charterparty agreements, and to ensure the safe and efficient carriage and delivery of cargoes. In addition, the department has to supervise the disbursement of all funds necessary to run the ships, it has to arrange for freight / hire / demurrage collection from charterers, and finally it has to arrange for the provision of the vessels with bunkers.
Cargo handling, port activities, pilotage, towage, wharfage, dockage, canal transits, conveying of cargoes, cargo handling arrangements, loading and discharging of vessels, are some of the actions supervised by the operations department. It is exactly this operational involvement that keeps us so closely abreast and in touch with current market conditions – vitally important in maintaining a competitive edge.
