Handymax and Supramax are
naval architecture
Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and op ...
terms for the larger
bulk carrier
A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially naval architecture, designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo—such as Grain trade, grain, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement—in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrie ...
s in the
Handysize class. Handysize class consists of Supramax (50,000 to 60,000
DWT), Handymax (40,000 to 50,000 DWT), and Handy (<40,000 DWT). The ships are used for less voluminous cargoes, and different cargoes can be carried in different holds.
Larger capacities for dry bulk include
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...
,
Capesize and
Very Large Ore Carriers and
Chinamax.
A handymax ship is typically in length, though certain bulk terminal restrictions, such as those in Japan, mean that many handymax ships are just under in overall length. Modern handymax and supramax designs are typically 52,000 in size, have five cargo holds and four cranes of around 30 tonnes working load, making it easier to use in ports with limited infrastructure. The average speed depends on size and age.
The cost of building a handymax is driven by the laws of supply and demand. In early 2007 the cost building a handymax was around $20 million. As the global economy boomed, the cost doubled to over $40 million, as demand for vessels of all sizes exceeded available yard capacity. After the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
, the cost fell back to $20M.
As of 2018, the average price was £23 million.
References
External links
Ship sizes
{{Ship measurements
Ship types
Ship measurements