Anchor-handler scarcity leads to record high North Sea rates

Changes are taking place in the OSV market in the North Sea as the number of high-spec anchor-handling tug/supply (AHTS) vessels declines, partly because of demand elsewhere, partly because of a dearth of newbuilds, and partly because of a contraction in the number of owners of specialized tonnage.

Figures provided by Maritime Strategies International (MSI) suggest that there are currently around 570 OSVs in Northwest Europe, and that the northwest European fleet – as with much of the global OSV fleet – is an aging fleet, with 55% of vessels more than 15 years old, and just 9% less than 10 years old. Read more at Riviera.