ABSTRACT
Ships may be operated commercially by their owners or they may be hired out. This hiring out is called chartering and it takes various forms, depending on the particular trade. Ships are chartered (in), that is, hired from their owners, for different reasons: bulk cargo owners who have enough cargo to fill a ship, either for one voyage or for a period of time; shipping lines who do not wish to own their own ships or who are temporarily supplementing their fleet (slot chartering). Generally speaking, ships are chartered (out) by shipowners who do not wish to operate them commercially.
