Ship Supply Delivery to Anchorage: How Chandlers Quote, Deliver and What Operators Should Check
How shipchandlers price and deliver provisions, stores and spares to ships at anchor: what is in a quote, how launch delivery and customs work, what the crew should check on receipt and how to avoid the disputes that follow a rushed delivery.
A delivery alongside is a truck at the gangway. A delivery to a ship at anchor is a small maritime operation: a launch or supply boat, a weather window, a crane or provision hoist, customs paperwork, port security, and a crew that has to stop what it is doing to receive and check everything in a short time. When it works, nobody notices. When it goes wrong, the ship sails with missing provisions, the wrong spares, or a delivery note signed for goods nobody counted.
This guide explains how shipchandlers quote and deliver to ships at anchor, and what operators, superintendents and masters should check at each stage. If you are new to working with chandlers, our guide to what a shipchandler does covers the basics first.
Why anchorage delivery is different
Many ships take stores at anchor because they call at a port only for bunkers, crew change or waiting time, or because they are at an anchorage like those off Singapore, Fujairah, Gibraltar or Las Palmas that serve passing traffic. That changes several things:
- Transport is a separate cost. The chandler has to hire a launch or use its own boat, and that cost appears on the quote or invoice.
- Weather decides the schedule. Launches have operating limits. A delivery planned for the morning can slip to the evening or the next day.
- Time on board is short. The crew may be bunkering, taking a crew change or preparing to sail at the same time.
- Permits and security apply. Launches need to be authorised to operate in the anchorage, and personnel coming alongside are subject to the ship's ISPS security checks.
- Customs may be involved. Stores delivered to a ship in international trade are often supplied duty-free, which requires customs documentation and sometimes customs presence.
How chandlers build a quote
Most chandlers work from the requisition the ship or the purchasing office sends. A good quote is easy to compare and leaves nothing to guess. It normally contains:
| Quote element | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Item description and code | IMPA codes for stores, so items can be matched exactly. The IMPA Marine Stores Guide, now in its eighth edition, lists more than 50,000 items, each with a six-digit code. |
| Unit and pack size | Per piece, per box, per kg. A price per box against a price per piece makes two quotes look different when they are not. |
| Brand or equivalent | Whether the quoted item is the requested brand or an alternative. Alternatives should be marked clearly. |
| Availability | In stock, to be sourced, or not available, with a lead time for anything sourced. |
| Unit price and currency | Plus the validity period of the quote. |
| Delivery charges | Launch or boat hire, road transport, crane or labour, shown separately. |
| Customs and documentation | Fees for bonded stores paperwork or customs attendance where they apply. |
| Overtime or out-of-hours surcharge | When delivery falls outside working hours or on a holiday. |
| Minimum order or consolidation terms | Whether a small order carries a minimum delivery charge. |
| Payment terms | Credit terms for established clients, or payment before delivery for a new account. |
When you compare chandlers, compare the delivered total, not the item prices. A chandler with slightly higher item prices but its own launch and a realistic delivery time can be cheaper overall than one with low item prices and an expensive third-party boat.
Ordering: lead time and timing
The more notice a chandler has, the better the price and the fewer substitutions. As a rule of thumb, everyday provisions and common stores can often be supplied at short notice in major supply ports, while specific brands, technical stores and items that must be sourced from outside the port need more time. Ask the chandler for a realistic lead time on the quote rather than assuming.
Coordinate the timing with the agent and the master:
- Combine launch trips. If the ship is also taking spares, a surveyor or a crew change, one launch may be able to carry several of them. This is one of the simplest ways to cut cost.
- Check simultaneous operations. Some ports and terminals restrict stores deliveries during bunkering or other operations. Ask the agent what the local rules allow.
- Avoid the last hour before sailing. A delivery squeezed in just before departure is the one most likely to be incompletely checked.
- Watch local holidays. Suppliers, customs and launch operators may not work. The Voyage Hub holidays calendar shows public holidays by port.
Customs and bonded stores
Ships in international trade can usually receive stores free of local duties and taxes, but how that works varies by country. For goods such as alcohol and tobacco, which are commonly supplied "in bond", customs typically require documentation and may seal the bonded store on board while the ship is in port. The ship also declares the stores it carries to authorities on arrival, using the IMO FAL Form 3 ship's stores declaration or the national equivalent through the single window.
What operators should check:
- The chandler is authorised to supply duty-free or bonded goods at that port.
- The customs documents for the delivery are complete and match what is delivered.
- The master knows whether customs will attend, and whether the bond locker will be sealed.
- Bonded items are recorded on board so the next stores declaration is accurate.
Delivery: what happens at the ship's side
On the day, the chandler loads the launch, the launch comes alongside, and stores are lifted aboard by the ship's crane or provision hoist, or passed by hand for small items. Practical points that make the difference:
- Agree the side and the time with the master in advance, including which crane will be used and whether the ship needs to provide a lee in poor weather.
- Use proper lifting gear. Cargo nets and pallets should be in good condition. Damaged gear is a safety risk and a common cause of lost or damaged goods.
- Verify the people coming aboard. Under the ship's security plan, the crew checks the identity of launch personnel against the information provided by the agent or chandler.
- Keep chilled and frozen goods moving. Provisions should be taken into the cold rooms quickly. Many companies specify that frozen goods must arrive hard frozen, often at minus 18 degrees Celsius or colder, and chilled goods within their own temperature range. Check your company's provisions procedure.
Receiving checks on board
The delivery note is the document the invoice will be matched against. Once the master or chief cook signs it without remarks, it is very hard to dispute shortages later. A short, consistent receiving routine prevents most problems.
| Check | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Quantity | Count against the order and the delivery note, item by item for valuable or technical items |
| Correct item | Match IMPA code, brand and specification, especially for technical stores and spares |
| Condition | Look for damaged packaging, wet cartons, crushed items |
| Food safety | Check expiry dates, temperature of chilled and frozen goods, and the condition of fresh fruit and vegetables |
| Substitutions | Confirm any substituted item was agreed and is acceptable |
| Shortages | Write them on the delivery note before signing |
| Evidence | Take photos of damaged or rejected items with the delivery note visible |
| Signature | Sign with remarks where needed, and keep a copy on board |
Rejected items should go back on the same launch where possible, with the rejection written on the delivery note. Items "to follow" should have an agreed delivery date, ideally before the ship sails. The Voyage Hub spares inventory and photo reference log are useful for recording what was received and what was rejected.
Fresh water, lubricants and other bulk supplies
Not everything arrives in cartons. Fresh water, lubricating oil in bulk or drums, and chemicals are often supplied by specialist companies or by the chandler through a partner, and each brings its own checks:
- Fresh water delivered by water barge should come with a record of the quantity delivered and, where your company requires it, evidence of water quality. Check tank soundings before and after.
- Lubricants should match the grade and brand specified by the engine maker or your company's lubrication chart. Check drum labels and batch numbers, and record quantities against the chief engineer's order.
- Chemicals and gases need safety data sheets and correct labelling, and should be stowed according to the ship's procedures as soon as they are on board.
If several suppliers are delivering on the same day, ask the agent to sequence the launches and barges so the crew is not receiving three deliveries at once on different sides of the ship.
Invoices and the most common disputes
Most chandler disputes fall into a few groups:
- Shortages signed for. The delivery note was signed without remarks, so the chandler invoices the full order.
- Substitutions. An equivalent brand was supplied without prior agreement.
- Delivery charges higher than quoted. Usually because the delivery moved outside working hours, needed an extra trip, or waited for the ship. Ask why, and ask for the launch operator's invoice if the difference is significant.
- Quality of fresh provisions. Best handled on board at the time of delivery, with photos.
- Price differences. Items invoiced at a price different from the accepted quote.
The fix in almost every case is the same: a clear order, an accepted quote with delivery charges stated, a counted delivery and a delivery note signed with remarks. When the documents agree, invoices are paid quickly and both sides want to work together again.
What a good anchorage chandler looks like
- Responds to requisitions quickly with a complete, coded quote.
- States delivery charges and lead times up front.
- Has its own launch or a reliable arrangement with a launch operator, plus authorisation to deliver in the anchorage.
- Handles customs paperwork for bonded stores correctly.
- Delivers what was ordered, marks substitutions, and does not pressure the crew to sign before checking.
- Communicates delays caused by weather or traffic before the crew is left waiting.
Our guide on vetting ship agents, shipchandlers and marine service providers covers how to check a new supplier before the first order.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why is there a separate delivery charge for anchorage deliveries?
A: The chandler has to hire or run a launch, sometimes with a crane or labour, to reach the ship. That cost depends on distance, time and number of trips, so it is usually shown separately from the item prices.
Q: What are IMPA codes and why do they matter?
A: IMPA codes are six-digit codes from the IMPA Marine Stores Guide that identify ship stores items precisely. Using them on requisitions and quotes reduces errors and makes quotes from different chandlers easier to compare.
Q: Can a ship receive stores while bunkering?
A: It depends on local rules, the terminal and the company's own procedures. Some places restrict simultaneous operations. Ask the agent before planning both at the same time.
Q: What should the crew do if items are missing or damaged?
A: Write the shortage or damage on the delivery note before signing, take photos, return rejected items on the same launch if possible, and inform the purchasing office so the invoice can be adjusted.
Q: How much notice does a chandler need?
A: For common provisions and stores at a major supply port, often a short period is enough, while specific brands and technical items take longer. Ask for a lead time on the quote and order as early as the voyage plan allows.
Find a shipchandler at your next anchorage
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