Ship Chandlery
Ship Chandlery is the business of supplying ships with the stores, provisions, spares and equipment they need — food and fresh provisions, deck and engine stores, cabin and cleaning supplies, safety gear, ropes, tools and consumables. The supplier is a ship chandler, who delivers to vessels during their (often very short) port stay.
Chandlery is the practical end of ship supply: an order raised on board (a requisition) is quoted, purchased and delivered to the vessel before it sails, frequently under tight time pressure and in many ports along a voyage. For the ship operator, efficient chandlery — accurate ordering, competitive sourcing and reliable delivery to the right port — keeps vessels stored and crews provisioned while controlling procurement cost. Chandlers themselves run a fast-moving procurement, inventory and delivery operation.
A ship in port for a few hours still needs feeding, storing and re-supplying before it sails — that is chandlery. Get the order or the delivery port wrong and the vessel leaves short. For operators it is procurement under time pressure; for chandlers it is a whole business of sourcing, inventory and on-time delivery — both of which reward tight systems.
What does a ship chandler supply?
Provisions, deck and engine stores, spares, safety equipment, ropes, tools and consumables delivered to ships in port.
How does chandlery relate to requisitions?
An on-board requisition for stores is quoted, purchased and delivered by the chandler before the ship sails.