Introduction to Shipping

AIM

  1. To introduce students to the essentials of business practice
  2. To ensure a basic knowledge and understanding of the elements of shipping business
  3. To develop communication skills

COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY

  • Continents, Oceans, Currents, & Tides, Weather & Climate, Canals & Waterways, Geographical regions (e.g. Far East, Mediterranean, S.E. Asia etc.).
  • Location of major countries and ports, Latitude & Longitude.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

  • The global market.
  • The need for shipping

CARGOES AND TRADE ROUTES

  • The role of liners and tramps. The dry bulk trades. The oil and other liquid trades (clean, products, chemicals, gas). Manufactured goods.
  • Origins and distributors of principal cargoes and trades.

SHIP TYPES

  • Bulk Carriers, Tankers, Containerships, Ro-Ro and General Purpose vessels.

CONTRACTS OF CARRIAGE

  • The basic anatomy of voyage and time charter parties. The main specialist terms and expressions. Basic functions of the Bill of Lading with a comparison of its role in the liner and tramp trades.

LAW OF CARRIAGE

  • The fundamental difference between Contract and Tort. The role of international conventions. Hague/Hague-Visby/Hamburg Rules.
  • Legal aspects of Bills of Lading. The role of marine insurance and P & I Associations.

SHIP REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION

  • Flag state, offshore registers and flags of convenience. The function of classification societies.

THE PRACTIONERS IN SHIPPING BUSINESS

  • Principals – shipowners, charterers, shippers and NVOCs. Intermediaries – dry cargo chartering brokers, tanker chartering brokers, ship sale &
  • purchase brokers, port agents, liner agents, ship managers, freight forwarders.

BASIC ACCOUNTING

  • The fundamentals of bookkeeping & corporate accounts. Definitions and roles of Revenue, Cost, Profit, Capital, Cash-flow, Interest. The structure of business entities.