The ship chandler is a supplier whose mission is to provide the necessary supplies and services, both food and technical, to enable ships to continue their voyage to a port of destination.

Origins of the figure of the ship chandler

Initially, the Navy fleet began to demand a provisioning service for its crew due to the impossibility of making stops ashore on certain occasions.

For the most part, the suppliers of these supplies focused on providing food, drinking water and medicines for the crew, spare parts and armed conflict material such as ammunition.

The urgency of this type of ships to satisfy their needs for the voyage made the figure of these merchants gain special relevance with the passage of time by allowing the crew not to deal with the tedious task of supplies.

Traders based on Just-In-Time method

As a general rule, the crew does not have enough time for ordering, purchasing goods or leisure activities outside their working hours. They are usually fully dedicated to the work on board or to enjoying their leisure time.

That is why suppliers are a vital figure in making purchases and deliveries on time so that the crew can continue with their objectives and itineraries.

At all times they must know how to meet the requests of a particular vessel so as not to interrupt the voyage. It is essential to know the market, especially the local market, in order to meet the needs of its customers and deliver on time.

Types of provisioning products

Following the logic of the passage of time, the mission of ship suppliers or ship chandlers has not changed much since its beginnings. They have only been implementing improvements and innovations largely thanks to the evolution of the sector over the years:

• Provisions for passengers / crew: dry and fresh food, fruits, vegetables, beverages, flours, oils, canned and frozen food.
• Maintenance and cleaning products: tools, sealants, osmosis products, oils, lubricants, waxes, polishes, brighteners, degreasers, wood/metal care, limescale removers, surface cleaners, brushes, cloths, sanitizers, disinfectants,….
• Spare parts: specialized tools, chains, steel cables, slings, batteries, screws, lights, nuts, blowtorches, extractors,…
• Duty Free products: tobacco, perfumes, alcoholic beverages,…

If you have a good ship chandler, you have a treasure trove.

Yes, because ship chandlers know better than anyone how the market is evolving and can offer the best products and services to the crew of a given vessel at a given time.

At Interseas we consider ourselves as solvers since we try to get everything you need to continue with your sea voyage. Regardless of search difficulty or delivery capability.

Therefore, if you are a shipping company or simply a pleasure boat and you have a good ship chandler in your contacts, you will certainly not miss out on these benefits:

1. Quality standards in the purchase and distribution of products
2. The best possible market price
3. Optimization and time savings
4. Overcoming the lack of knowledge of a specific destination
5. Best foreign exchange rates
6. Ease of processing
7. Saving time in administrative procedures

At Interseas we consider time to be of immense value within a crew or organization. That is why we try to offer our services in the most efficient way possible, maintaining close contact between purchasing managers and procurement personnel.