The Cluster Falk:Star Trading

These are homebrew rules for stellar trading and commerce.

Ship Charters

These are the main types of charters availlable for ships trading between star systems:

• A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the hiring of a vessel for which no administration or technical maintenance is included as part of the agreement. The charterer obtains possession and full control of the vessel, along with the legal and financial responsibilities for it. The charterer pays for all operating expenses, including fuel, crew, port expenses and P&I and hull insurance. The charter period may last for many years and may end with the charterer acquiring title (ownership) of the ship.
• A voyage charter is the hiring of a vessel and crew for a voyage between a load port and a discharge port. The charterer pays the vessel owner on a per-ton or a lump-sum basis. The owner pays the port costs (excluding stevedoring), fuel costs and crew costs. The payment for the use of the vessel is known as freight. A voyage charter specifies a period, known as laytime, for loading and unloading the cargo. If laytime is exceeded, the charterer must pay demurrage. If laytime is saved, the charter party may require the shipowner to pay despatch to the charterer.
• A time charter is the hiring of a vessel for a specific period of time. The owner supplies the vessel and crew, but the charterer selects the ports, route and transit times. The charterer pays for all fuel the vessel consumes, port charges, commissions and a daily hire to the owner of the vessel. The charterer in that sense takes full commercial control of the vessel during the time charter period. The operation of the vessel itself remains with the owner.

All of these types are more common than ship owners or line operators actually buying cargo to ship.

Charter regulations are enforced by the leading local power.

Shipbroking

Shipbroking is the main conduit for interstellar commerce. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators (i.e. brokers) between ship owners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, and secondarily, between buyers and sellers of vessels.

Shipbrokers maintain large databases of vessel positions, cargoes, and rates, paying constant attention to the direction of the markets so as to advise their clients accurately as to how to maximize profits or minimize expenses. They are engaged to act either for a ship owner looking for employment for a ship, or a charterer with a cargo to be shipped. The shipbroker takes a standard 1.5% commission based on the value of the freight - including demurrage - from both ends of the deal. A ship owner may contract exclusively with a broker for a lower 1% commission. For small cargoes and less travelled routes, the shipbroker may up their commission to 2.5%.

Breakbulk

Breakbulk, or general cargo, is the kind of cargo that is shipped in separate lots rather than containerized or bulk loads. It needs more effort and resources in handling, and is often carried by smaller ships, such as free traders.

Breakbulk shipping often involves the breaking down of large containerized loads into smaller lots for onward distribution. This is often the only shipping method to smaller destinations in less developed sectors, at the far end of the distribution chain. Breakbulk needs much less investment in port facilities, and a lower technology level, but is very labour-intensive.

Trading Scales

These are the rough buy/sell guidelines for shipping between particular classes of planet. Even when the ship is looking for business on a bareboat or voyage charter, these guidelines will dictate the kind of voyages that clients wil want.

Category	Buy Modifiers	Sell Modifiers
Agricultural Goods	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%
Armaments	In, R -20%	Da, Mi +60%
Cold Steerage	Ag, Hi -50%	In +30%, Na, Pr, +40%
Consumer Goods	In -20%	Hi, R +40%
Contraband	Da -20%	Hi, R +60%
Cybernetics	In, R -20%	Ag, Ga +60%
Exotics	Fl, He -20%	Hi, R +60%
Hazardous	Fl, He In -40%	Va +20%
Industrial Goods	In, R -20%	Ag, Ga, Ni +60%
Luxuries	Ag, Ga -20%	Hi, R +60%
Medical Supplies	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%
Precious Goods	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%
Processed Materials	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%
Raw Materials	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%
Transportation	Ag -50%, NI -30%	Ag -60%, Co, De, In, HP +60% R +30%

Category Buy Modifiers Sell Modifiers

Consumer Goods In -20% Hi, R +40% Contraband Da -20% Hi, R +60% Cybernetics In, R -20% Ag, Ga +60% Exotics Fl, He -20% Hi, R +60% Hazardous Fl, He In -40% Va +20% Industrial Goods In, R -20% Ag, Ga, Ni +60% Luxuries Ag, Ga -20% Hi, R +60% Medical Supplies In, R -20% Ag, Ga, Ni +60% Precious Goods Ni - 20% Hi, R +60% Processed Materials In, Pi -20% Hi, R +40% Raw Materials Lo, Ni -20% Hi, R +20% Transportation In, R -20% Ag, Ga, Ni +60%