Whether you’re moving crude, grain, gas, containers, vehicles or live animals, the ship you need has a specific type and size class. This tool lays out the full range by industry standard, shows what’s realistically charterable in and around West Africa, and helps you send a clear enquiry to Wigmore’s chartering desk — so you get a vessel matched to your cargo and a written quote, not guesswork.
Tap what you need to move and we’ll highlight the vessel types built for it. Or just browse the full range below.
Size classes are indicative industry ranges; exact specifications vary by ship. Availability is a regional guide — we confirm live tonnage per enquiry.
Regional → Global
Single-deck ships carrying unpackaged bulk commodities in large holds. Smaller, geared sizes are the workhorses of West African coastal trade.
Typically carriesGrain, iron ore, coal, bauxite, cement, fertiliser, sugar, salt, ores, aggregates
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Handysize | ~10–35k DWT | Regional |
| Supramax / Ultramax | ~35–65k DWT | Regional |
| Panamax / Kamsarmax | ~65–85k DWT | Global |
| Capesize | ~150–200k DWT | Global |
| VLOC (ore) | 200k+ DWT | Global |
Regional → Global
Tankers for crude and refined petroleum. Product and coastal tankers are heavily used across West Africa’s fuel-distribution trade.
Typically carriesCrude oil; petrol (PMS), diesel (AGO), jet A1, kerosene, fuel oil
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal / small | up to ~25k DWT | Regional |
| MR product | ~25–55k DWT | Regional |
| LR1 / LR2 | ~55–120k DWT | Global |
| Aframax | ~80–120k DWT | Global |
| Suezmax | ~120–200k DWT | Global |
| VLCC / ULCC | 200k+ DWT | Global |
Specialist → Global
Purpose-built carriers with pressurised or refrigerated tanks for liquefied gases. Small LPG carriers serve regional cooking-gas distribution.
Typically carriesLPG (propane, butane, cooking gas), LNG, ammonia, petrochemical gases
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Small / pressurised LPG | ~3–10k m³ | Specialist |
| Semi-refrigerated LPG | ~10–40k m³ | Global |
| VLGC | ~70–85k m³ | Global |
| LNG carrier | ~120–180k m³ | Global |
Specialist → Global
Tankers with stainless-steel or coated tanks (IMO Type 1–3) for liquids needing segregation and cleanliness — including edible oils.
Typically carriesPalm & vegetable oils, bulk chemicals, molasses, acids, solvents
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal veg-oil / chem | up to ~25k DWT | Specialist |
| MR chemical | ~25–55k DWT | Global |
| Parcel tanker | 55k+ DWT | Global |
Regional → Global
Cellular ships carrying standard containers (measured in TEU). Feeders connect regional ports to the mainline hubs.
Typically carriesContainerised general cargo (FCL/LCL), reefer containers
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Feeder / Feedermax | ~1–3k TEU | Regional |
| Panamax | ~3–5k TEU | Global |
| Post / Neo-Panamax | ~5–14k TEU | Global |
| ULCV | 14–24k+ TEU | Global |
Regional
Flexible, often geared ships (own cranes) that carry almost anything not suited to a specialised vessel — the backbone of regional breakbulk trade.
Typically carriesBreakbulk, bagged goods, steel, timber, machinery, project pieces, general cargo
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Coaster / small | up to ~10k DWT | Regional |
| Handy MPP (geared) | ~10–30k DWT | Regional |
| Large MPP / heavy-lift | 30k+ DWT | Global |
Specialist → Global
Refrigerated ships holding cargo at controlled temperature. Much perishable trade now also moves in reefer containers on container ships.
Typically carriesFish, fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and other perishables
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal / small reefer | small parcels | Regional |
| Conventional reefer ship | by cubic capacity | Global |
| Reefer containers | per box | Regional |
Global → Regional
Roll-on/roll-off ships and pure car/truck carriers (PCTC) for anything driven or rolled aboard. Measured in car-equivalent units (CEU).
Typically carriesCars, trucks, buses, wheeled & tracked machinery, rolling project cargo
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Ro-Ro / landing craft | small | Regional |
| PCC / PCTC | ~2–8k CEU | Global |
| ConRo (container + ro-ro) | mixed | Global |
Specialist
Purpose-built or converted vessels with multi-deck pens, ventilation, and feed and water systems for live animals — a specialist trade governed by animal-welfare rules.
Typically carriesLive sheep, cattle, goats and camels (with welfare-compliant handling)
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Small livestock carrier | few thousand head | Specialist |
| Large purpose-built carrier | tens of thousands head | Global |
| Converted / multi-deck | varies by fit-out | Specialist |
Specialist → Global
Ships with high-capacity cranes or float-on/float-off capability for oversized and extremely heavy single units that no other vessel can lift.
Typically carriesTransformers, turbines, cranes, plant modules, rigs, oversized equipment
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy-lift MPP | 100–900t+ cranes | Specialist |
| Semi-submersible / dock ship | float-on units | Global |
Regional
Workboats serving offshore oil & gas — a strong regional market in the Gulf of Guinea and the Niger Delta.
Typically carriesRig supplies, fuel, water, drilling mud; anchor handling; crew transfer
| Class | Typical size | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| PSV (platform supply) | deck + tanks | Regional |
| AHTS (anchor handling) | by bollard pull | Regional |
| Crew boat / fast craft | personnel | Regional |
Regional
The essential craft of ports, coasts, creeks and rivers — indispensable in Nigerian harbours and the Niger Delta waterways.
Typically carries / doesTowage, coastal & river cargo, fuel bunkering, dredging support
| Class | Typical use | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Harbour / ocean tug | towage | Regional |
| Deck / hopper barge | cargo, aggregates | Regional |
| Bunker / tanker barge | fuel supply | Regional |
Fill in what you know — everything’s optional. We turn it into a ready-to-send WhatsApp message to Wigmore’s chartering desk, who’ll confirm suitable tonnage, availability and a written quote. No obligation.
Opens WhatsApp with your details pre-written — you review and hit send. Nothing is submitted automatically.
The right charter type depends on whether you need one voyage, a vessel for a period, or full control of it.
Hire the vessel for a single, defined voyage from A to B. You pay a rate for the trip; the owner runs and crews the ship. Simplest for a one-off shipment.
Hire the vessel (and its crew) for a period — weeks, months or years. You direct where it trades and pay a daily hire rate plus fuel and port costs.
Hire the vessel alone, without crew, for a longer term. You take on full operational and commercial control — closest thing to owning it, without buying.
Contract to move a set quantity of cargo over time across multiple shipments, with the owner providing suitable tonnage each time. Good for ongoing volumes.
We book vessels as part of moving real cargo every day, and we know the regional market.
We know which tonnage actually trades West African ports and creeks — not just what looks good on a global list.
Chartering ties straight into our shipping, customs and warehousing — one chain, not five vendors.
Need the goods as well as the ship? Our sourcing desk can find and buy, then we move it.
No made-up rates off a web page. We confirm real availability and price for your route and laycan, in writing.
This tool is a general guide to vessel types and standard industry size classifications; typical size ranges are indicative and the exact specification of any individual vessel varies. Availability indications (regional / specialist / global) are practical guidance only and depend on market conditions at the time of enquiry. Charter rates are not shown because they fluctuate with route, vessel, laycan, bunker prices and market supply; Wigmore Trading confirms real availability and pricing in writing for each enquiry. Wigmore acts to arrange and broker suitable tonnage on the client’s behalf; charter parties and their terms are agreed between the contracting parties. Livestock carriage is subject to applicable animal-welfare regulations and specialist requirements. This page does not constitute a binding offer of any vessel or rate.
Build an enquiry above or message the charter desk directly — tell us the cargo and the route, and we’ll match the vessel and come back with honest availability and price.
