Cosmodca← All Video Guides
Home/Video Guides/Maritime Debt Recovery: Shipping Sector Collection Guide
Shipping Sector · Creditor Guide

Maritime Debt Recovery: Shipping Sector Collection Guide

Published March 24, 2026·English

Maritime debt recovery runs on its own toolkit, from ship arrest to maritime liens, that has no real equivalent in standard commercial collection.

01 - Ship arrest is uniquely powerful leverage

A creditor with a qualifying maritime claim can arrest a vessel in many ports worldwide, effectively freezing a valuable, mobile asset until the underlying debt is resolved, a form of pressure with no equivalent outside shipping.

02 - Bills of lading and charter hire disputes differ

Unpaid charter hire and disputes arising from bills of lading are governed by distinct bodies of maritime law and international convention, so the correct recovery strategy depends heavily on which type of contract underlies the debt.

03 - Maritime liens attach to the vessel itself

Certain maritime claims create a lien directly against the ship, independent of who currently owns or operates it, which can give a creditor recovery rights that survive a change in vessel ownership.

Go deeper

Prefer the full written guide?

Everything covered in this video, in full written form, in the complete article.

Read the full guide
Blog

Maritime Debt Recovery: Shipping Sector Collection Guide: the Full Guide

Industry guide to maritime debt recovery covering bills of lading, charter hire, ship arrest, maritime liens, and no-cure-no-fee economics for shipping creditors.

Chapters

Jump to the part you need.

00:00Why shipping disputes need their own playbook
Standard commercial collection tools don't map cleanly onto maritime claims, which follow their own international legal framework.
02:15Ship arrest is uniquely powerful leverage
How arresting a vessel creates settlement pressure standard collection can't replicate.
04:30Bills of lading and charter hire disputes differ
Why the type of maritime contract changes the entire recovery strategy.
06:10Maritime liens and no-cure-no-fee economics
How liens attach to the vessel and what recovery costs a shipping creditor. No collection, no fee.
Free Case Review

Have an unpaid international commercial debt?

Submit Your Case
No Collection, No Fee4.7/5 · 68,127 ReviewsSince 1999