Provisions, deck and engine stores, technical supplies and marine spare parts for bulk carriers, tankers, gas carriers, container ships and general cargo vessels calling at US ports.
Alpha Ship Supplies supplies ocean-going merchant vessels calling at Gulf Coast, East Coast and West Coast ports. Our Houston team quotes and coordinates every requisition, then plans delivery around the vessel’s terminal, laytime and agent arrangements. Whether it is a Handysize bulker loading grain, a VLCC at a crude terminal or a container ship on a tight berth window, you get one quotation, one coordinator and one delivery.
Houston HQ | Gulf, East and West Coast Ports | One Quote, One Delivery
Bulk, tanker, gas, container, general cargo
Provisions, stores and spares together
Delivery planned with your agent
Prioritized by your vessel ETD
Merchant vessels differ in crew size, voyage pattern and stores consumption, and each port call has its own constraints. A ship supplier for merchant fleets has to understand both the ship and the terminal before quoting.
Technical superintendents, purchasing teams and masters work with Alpha Ship Supplies because:
Requisitions are coordinated from our Houston office and planned around each vessel’s port call, terminal and agent arrangements.
Because our coordinators handle merchant calls at many US ports every week, we know which terminals restrict delivery hours, which anchorages need launches and how far ahead perishables must be ordered for a long ballast or laden passage. That experience is built into every quotation.
Send the vessel name, port, terminal, ETA and requisition. We confirm a delivery slot with your agent.
Short call or long stay, we plan the delivery around cargo operations.
We regularly handle requisitions for:
Crew sizes on these ships typically run from around 18 to 30 people, and voyages after a US call can last weeks, so provision planning matters as much as technical supply.
Bulk carriers often order hatch cover seals, grab and crane consumables, deck paint and large provision orders for long passages. Tankers order cargo pump seals, gaskets, chemical-resistant PPE and gas detection consumables. Container ships order lashing items, reefer socket parts and compact, ready-to-load deliveries. General cargo and Ro-Ro vessels mix lashing materials, deck hardware and maintenance stores.
Most merchant ships calling at US ports are owned or managed from Greece, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Norway, Denmark, China, South Korea and India. We work by email across time zones, send line-by-line quotations that superintendents abroad can approve quickly, and plan provisions around crew nationality, from rice, noodles and Asian staples to European dairy, bread and cured meats. Bonded stores for foreign-going vessels can be arranged where available, coordinated through your agent.
Quotations can follow your company’s preferred format and currency notes on request.
Most merchant requisitions combine several categories. We quote them on one document and deliver them together.
Fresh, chilled, frozen and dry provisions planned for crew size and voyage length, plus cabin and slop chest stores. See provision and crew stores.
Mooring ropes, wires, shackles, paint, tools, gaskets, packing, filters and engine-room consumables, matched to IMPA codes where you have them. See deck and engine stores.
OEM and approved equivalent spares for main and auxiliary engines, pumps, compressors and purifiers, identified by maker, model and part number. See marine spare parts.
PPE, firefighting consumables, lifesaving items, gas detection consumables and medical chest items. See safety and maintenance.
Breakers, cable, lighting, sensors and electronic parts for running repairs. See electrical supplies.
Deck and hull paints, primers, fasteners and hardware for maintenance during cargo time. See paint and maintenance.
Most merchant vessel orders fall into three groups, and each is handled differently.
Fresh, frozen and dry provisions and cabin stores are planned against crew numbers, menu cycle and the length of the next passage. Perishables are delivered close to sailing time and packed by temperature.
Planned maintenance items, consumables and spares are quoted against IMPA codes or maker references. These orders benefit most from early requisitions, because some items need confirmation from distributors.
Items needed to keep cargo work, navigation or class compliance on track are treated as urgent. We confirm quickly what can arrive before sailing and what should be forwarded to the next port.
Stores go by truck to the terminal gate or by launch to vessels at anchor, with timing and costs agreed with the agent and shown on the quotation.
Every delivery comes with a signed delivery note, temperature notes for perishables and an emailed invoice with the same line references, so your accounts team can match it to the purchase order without chasing details.
Tell us the full US rotation. We can split the order so heavy or slow items arrive at the port with the longest stay.
A failed pump seal, a short provision count or a port state inspection finding can create an urgent order during a short call. Mark the requisition URGENT, include the ETD and terminal, and we will tell you quickly what can realistically be sourced and delivered before sailing. Requisitions can be sent through our form at any time and urgent ones are prioritized by ETD.
If a vessel is diverted to a different US port, tell us. We re-plan the delivery for the new port rather than chase the old one.
Ship managers with several vessels trading to the US benefit from a single supplier who knows their fleet. We keep vessel details, preferred brands and approved alternatives on file, so repeat requisitions are quoted faster and more consistently.
For recurring consumables such as paint, ropes, filters, cleaning chemicals and PPE, we can help standardize products across the fleet, so every vessel receives the same approved items at every US call.
Quotations follow your requisition line order and references, which makes them easy to load into purchasing platforms and compare against other quotes.
Fleets that trade regularly between the Gulf Coast and Asia or Europe also benefit from forward planning: we can advise which items are best bought in the US and which are better left for the next port, based on lead times and the vessel’s schedule.
Good planning keeps stores deliveries out of the critical path of cargo operations.
Send the requisition as soon as the port call is confirmed. Technical spares and large provision orders need the most lead time.
Mark items that must be on board before sailing. That lets us prioritize what can be confirmed in time and plan the rest.
If the vessel calls at more than one US port, tell us. Heavy or slow items can be delivered at the port with the longest stay.
The delivery note lists each line, quantity and any substitution. Anything not supplied is listed clearly for the next port.
Vessel name, IMO, berth or terminal, ETA/ETD, agent details and the item list with quantities. For spares add maker, model and part number.
Every line priced, substitutes and long-lead items flagged, and delivery or launch charges confirmed up front.
Approve by email or purchase order. Suppliers and transport are booked the same day.
Stores arrive in the agreed slot at your berth or anchorage at any U.S. port we serve with a delivery note matching your requisition.
Invoice and supporting documents for your accounts, audits and vessel records.
Sending the vessel, terminal and ETA with the requisition is the biggest time saver. Every delivery is checked against the requisition before dispatch, and any shortage or substitution is shown on the delivery note before the master signs.
Alpha Ship Supplies supplies provisions, deck and engine stores, technical items and spare parts to merchant vessels at Gulf Coast, East Coast and West Coast US ports, coordinated from our Houston headquarters.
Bulk carriers, crude and product tankers, chemical tankers, LNG and LPG carriers, container ships, general cargo, Ro-Ro and multipurpose vessels.
No. Our office is in Houston. Requisitions for other US ports are coordinated from Houston with delivery arranged for each call.
Yes. Delivery to anchored vessels goes by launch, arranged with the port agent, with cost and timing confirmed on the quotation.
Yes. Requisitions with IMPA codes are quoted line by line against those references.
Yes. They are quoted together and delivered on the same drop wherever the terminal allows.
Where available, bonded stores for foreign-going vessels are arranged through licensed bonded suppliers, with paperwork coordinated through your agent.
As early as possible, ideally several days before ETA, especially for technical spares and large provision orders.
Yes. We can keep preferred brands and approved alternatives on file so every vessel in your fleet receives consistent items at US ports.
They are listed clearly on the delivery note so they can be ordered for the next port on the rotation.
Send the vessel name, port, terminal, ETA and requisition. You will get a line-by-line quotation and a delivery plan agreed with your agent.