Some of the Hellespont`s major customers were forced to terminate or discontinue their long-term commitments to employ the Group’s vessels. This unexpected turn of events forced the company to assume commercial and technical management roles on a scale it had never known. Hellespont`s financial stability was preserved through a combination of earnings from remaining long-term charters and a gradual improvement in the shipping market starting in 1986. Considerable resources were dedicated to strengthening the Group’s ship management and ship chartering capabilities.