Norwegian broker Seabrokers said rate spikes this year may be giving anchor-handler (AHTS) owners hope that better times lie ahead.

But it warned that the market remains volatile and it is likely to be more a case of "feast or famine" rather than a sustained recovery.

"While 2018 proved to be a huge disappointment for the majority of North Sea AHTS owners, the first few weeks of 2019 have already seen the first rate ‘spike’ of the year," Seabrokers said.