Marcura and CFARER today announced a strategic partnership that connects e-commerce procurement with technical operations for fleets worldwide. Under the agreement, ShipServ becomes the recommended e-commerce platform for Ship Manager Procurement, which supports about 2,000 vessels. The partnership also brings VesselMan to CFARER customers for digital dry-docking, inspections, and technical project execution.
Many operators run capable purchasing software. Yet they face a fragmented supplier landscape. The integration of ShipServ with Ship Manager Procurement gives technical purchasing teams direct access to more than 50,000 pre-vetted suppliers from within existing workflows.
Compliance checks, benchmarking, and e-invoicing run in the background. AI-supported insights highlight relevant and reliable suppliers based on performance history, quote quality, and delivery record.
VesselMan adds structured planning and execution for dry-dockings, inspections, and technical projects. Procurement timelines and yard plans align more closely, which improves predictability and reduces administrative work.
A key insight for customers is the combination of procurement analytics and vessel-level reality. Marcura provides deep analytics for procurement. CFARER contributes on-board context through Ship Manager Technical and Ship Manager Analyzer.
Decisions based on this data reflect what is happening on the vessel, including maintenance status, open work orders, consumption patterns, and current spare holdings at vessel and fleet level. This helps avoid over-stocking, reduces rush orders, and sources against real technical needs.
“Procurement teams need control and timely access to the right suppliers. This partnership delivers both. A number of major shipping companies are already using ShipServ integrated with Ship Manager Procurement. We are now extending this capability to CFARER’s broader client base together,” said Sharon Gill, Senior Vice President, Commercial and Partner Alliances, Marcura.
“Our customers operate across every major segment of shipping. Marcura and CFARER share a best-of-breed approach with a strong focus on practical innovation. Together we help fleets work faster and with more confidence, at sea and ashore,” said Stian Omli, Chief Commercial Officer, CFARER.
Under the agreement, both companies will coordinate onboarding for joint clients. CFARER will exclusively recommend ShipServ for Ship Manager Procurement.
VesselMan will be available to operators seeking digitized dry-docking, technical project management, and inspection workflows. Clients gain end-to-end analytics across procurement, maintenance, and QHSE through Ship Manager Analyzer.
This strategic partnership connects the maritime marketplace with the technical heartbeat of the vessel. This combination aligns purchasing with real-time maintenance needs and available spares. The result is faster sourcing, clearer accountability, and projects that stay on schedule.
“Our customers operate across every major segment of shipping. Marcura and CFARER share a best-of-breed approach with a strong focus on practical innovation. Together we help fleets work faster and with more confidence, at sea and ashore,” Stian Omli, Chief Commercial Officer, CFARER.
A shared commitment to crew welfare
MarTrust and global welfare charity the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) have announced a new partnership connecting financial wellbeing with mental health support for crew members worldwide.
We spoke with Simon Grainge, CEO of ISWAN, and Stuart Gregory, CEO of MarTrust, about why this collaboration matters and how it will help improve everyday life for seafarers.
The human side of seafaring
ISWAN operates a 24/7 multilingual helpline providing practical and emotional support to seafarers and their families, handling around 450 new contacts every month.
Simon Grainge:
“We provide a place where seafarers can talk about things they wouldn’t share with their employer, their crewmates, or even their family. They come to us with everything from simple questions to people experiencing suicidal thoughts; issues like abandonment, financial worries, fatigue, stress, and contractual problems.”
Financial anxiety is one of the most common concerns raised on the helpline.
“Security of livelihood is a big issue for seafarers because they don’t know where their next contract is coming from,” adds Grainge. “For many, the work is a route out of poverty, so these things are crucial.”
Financial wellbeing as part of welfare
For MarTrust, crew welfare begins with giving seafarers more control over their money.
Stuart Gregory:
“There’s a very direct link between the financial wellbeing of the crew and their wider welfare. Crew live difficult lives. They’re away from their families, often on nine-month contracts, travelling around the world. How they manage their money, how they get paid, support their families, and budget. These are all common challenges. If you’ve got three months unpaid between contracts, you need to make sure you don’t spend all your money while you’re at sea.”
Sending money home can also be a challenge.
“If your family’s back in the Philippines, India, or Indonesia, it’s not always easy to send money cost-effectively,” Gregory explains. “Historically, they were often paid in cash, and you could lose a lot through transfer fees. Port call frequency makes a difference too in terms of budgeting. If you call at port every few days, the temptation to spend is higher than if you only dock once a month.”
Digital tools designed for life at sea
MarTrust has developed features within its digital wallet that make everyday money management easier and help seafarers stay in control.
“One of the things crew really asked for was the ability to keep their card balance separate from the balance in their account,” says Gregory. “If they only want to spend $150 while they’re in port, they can load that amount on the card and keep their savings safe in the account.”
Connectivity at sea was another issue.
“We built an auto-transfer feature so crew can pre-set how much they want to send to each beneficiary,” Gregory continues. “As soon as they’re paid, it’s sent automatically, even if they don’t have connectivity. It means the money still gets to the family without delay, while keeping the seafarer in control.”
Another feature developed in response to crew feedback is the ability for seafarers to transfer funds instantly between each other.
“Crew-to-crew payments were one of the most requested additions,” says Gregory. “They make it easy for colleagues to pay each other back on board or send money to a family member who also uses a MarTrust account. It means vessels can operate entirely cash-free, removing the cost and risk of handling cash while giving crew more flexibility.”
For ISWAN, these innovations directly support mental wellbeing.
Simon Grainge:
“Families sometimes contact us because of urgent financial needs, hospital bills, for example, and that’s when the pressure really builds. Giving seafarers reliable, low-cost ways to send money home helps take away a major source of anxiety.”
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