Spot rates for North Sea anchor-handling tug supply ships were capped in September as a handful of vessels nabbed their last contracts before heading south, Hagland Shipbrokers said.

The Norwegian offshore broker said in its monthly report that a half dozen AHTS vessels were set to depart the region in the last three months of 2023, keeping the spot market softer for the month — but it also noted not enough vessels were leaving to supercharge rates.