Ballast leg

The segment of a voyage a ship steams without revenue cargo, in ballast, to reposition for the next fixture or to return after discharge. Ballast days carry bunker and time cost but no freight, so they dilute the round-voyage TCE; minimizing ballast distance through good triangulation of cargoes is central to commercial operation. A ballast bonus compensates an owner for a ballast leg run to reach a delivery point.