The Port Draft Was 11.5 Meters. The Vessel Drew 12.2.
Quote from Guest on May 14, 2026, 3:54 amWhen the vessel's draft exceeds port depth, cargo must be reduced. How draft restrictions create partial loading and margin erosion.
A Supramax was fixed to load 52,000 MT of manganese ore at San Esteban de Pravia, Spain, for Qinzhou, China. The charter party reflected full capacity. Both the FOB purchase and CIF sale were based on 52,000 MT. Margin: $4.50 per MT — $234,000.
The vessel arrived. Maximum permissible draft at San Esteban de Pravia: 11.5 meters. The vessel's draft at 52,000 MT: 12.2 meters. Maximum loadable quantity: approximately 44,000 MT.
Options: load 44,000 MT and arrange a second vessel for the remaining 8,000 MT, or reduce the sale quantity. The trader chose to load 44,000 MT and fix a Handysize for the remainder. The Handysize freight was 40% higher per MT. Freight differential on 8,000 MT: approximately $96,000. Deadfreight claim from the Supramax owner for the unloaded portion: approximately $48,000.
Total cost of the draft restriction: $144,000. Trade margin: $234,000. The draft error consumed 62% of the margin.
Draft Restrictions Are Port-Specific and Season-Specific
Every port has a maximum permissible draft — determined by channel depth, tidal range, and silting conditions. It varies by port, by berth, and sometimes by season.
The draft restriction determines maximum cargo. If the vessel's loaded draft exceeds the port's maximum, cargo must be reduced — short-loading or partial loading. The commercial impact: the trader has fixed a vessel for a specific quantity, sold a specific quantity, and cannot load that quantity at the port.
Verification requires three pieces of information: the vessel's load line and stowage plan (determining draft at full cargo), the port's maximum draft (from port authority or guide), and tidal conditions at expected loading dates.
The chartering desk checked vessel capacity but not the port's draft restriction. The port guide listed 11.5 meters. The vessel needed 12.2 meters. The mismatch was 0.7 meters — approximately 8,000 MT that could not be loaded.
The verification takes one query to the port agent. The cost of not doing it: $144,000.
The Port Does Not Adjust to the Vessel
The manganese ore was delivered — 44,000 MT on the Supramax, 8,000 MT on the Handysize. The buyer received the full quantity. The trader delivered, but at a cost that turned a healthy margin into a thin one.
The draft restriction was public information, available before the fixture. It was not checked. The traders who work unfamiliar routes build draft verification into their pre-fixture checklist. The traders who assume the vessel fits the port because it fits the volume are making an assumption that the physics of the port channel does not support.
The lesson is as old as shipping: the port does not adjust to the vessel. The vessel adjusts to the port. The traders who adjust their fixture to the port's constraints before fixing save themselves from adjustments that are far more expensive after.
Keywords: port draft restriction vessel commodity trade loading | vessel draft port depth limitation, partial loading draft commodity trade, port depth cargo reduction, draft restriction bulk commodity shipping
Words: 464 | Source: Industry pattern — documented across multiple sources | Created: 2026-04-08
When the vessel's draft exceeds port depth, cargo must be reduced. How draft restrictions create partial loading and margin erosion.
A Supramax was fixed to load 52,000 MT of manganese ore at San Esteban de Pravia, Spain, for Qinzhou, China. The charter party reflected full capacity. Both the FOB purchase and CIF sale were based on 52,000 MT. Margin: $4.50 per MT — $234,000.
The vessel arrived. Maximum permissible draft at San Esteban de Pravia: 11.5 meters. The vessel's draft at 52,000 MT: 12.2 meters. Maximum loadable quantity: approximately 44,000 MT.
Options: load 44,000 MT and arrange a second vessel for the remaining 8,000 MT, or reduce the sale quantity. The trader chose to load 44,000 MT and fix a Handysize for the remainder. The Handysize freight was 40% higher per MT. Freight differential on 8,000 MT: approximately $96,000. Deadfreight claim from the Supramax owner for the unloaded portion: approximately $48,000.
Total cost of the draft restriction: $144,000. Trade margin: $234,000. The draft error consumed 62% of the margin.
Draft Restrictions Are Port-Specific and Season-Specific
Every port has a maximum permissible draft — determined by channel depth, tidal range, and silting conditions. It varies by port, by berth, and sometimes by season.
The draft restriction determines maximum cargo. If the vessel's loaded draft exceeds the port's maximum, cargo must be reduced — short-loading or partial loading. The commercial impact: the trader has fixed a vessel for a specific quantity, sold a specific quantity, and cannot load that quantity at the port.
Verification requires three pieces of information: the vessel's load line and stowage plan (determining draft at full cargo), the port's maximum draft (from port authority or guide), and tidal conditions at expected loading dates.
The chartering desk checked vessel capacity but not the port's draft restriction. The port guide listed 11.5 meters. The vessel needed 12.2 meters. The mismatch was 0.7 meters — approximately 8,000 MT that could not be loaded.
The verification takes one query to the port agent. The cost of not doing it: $144,000.
The Port Does Not Adjust to the Vessel
The manganese ore was delivered — 44,000 MT on the Supramax, 8,000 MT on the Handysize. The buyer received the full quantity. The trader delivered, but at a cost that turned a healthy margin into a thin one.
The draft restriction was public information, available before the fixture. It was not checked. The traders who work unfamiliar routes build draft verification into their pre-fixture checklist. The traders who assume the vessel fits the port because it fits the volume are making an assumption that the physics of the port channel does not support.
The lesson is as old as shipping: the port does not adjust to the vessel. The vessel adjusts to the port. The traders who adjust their fixture to the port's constraints before fixing save themselves from adjustments that are far more expensive after.
Keywords: port draft restriction vessel commodity trade loading | vessel draft port depth limitation, partial loading draft commodity trade, port depth cargo reduction, draft restriction bulk commodity shipping
Words: 464 | Source: Industry pattern — documented across multiple sources | Created: 2026-04-08