SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, Income taxes (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Ownership percentage held by each shareholder (in hundredths)	5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
Federal tax rate (in hundredths)	4.00%
Taxable income	$ (155,123)	$ (156,554)	$ 26,453
Income tax expense	1,898	1,222	1,385
Total revenue earned	3,285	3,294	3,285
Maximum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Combined ownership held by 5% shareholders (in hundredths)	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%
Percentage of shipping income attributable to transportation that begins or ends in the United States included in United States source shipping income (in hundredths)	50.00%
Vessel Management Services [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Taxable income	4,235	2,655	2,787
Income tax expense	1,864	1,194	1,351
Total revenue earned	7,856	6,110	6,309
Baltic Trading [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Aggregate voting power held (in hundredths)	50.00%
Baltic Trading [Member] \| United States [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Taxable income	1,664	1,379	3,062
Income tax expense	34	28	34
Intersegment Elimination [Member] \| Vessel Management Services [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Total revenue earned	$ 4,571	$ 2,816	$ 3,024

Represents the combined ownership percentage held by shareholders owning five percent or more of the entity's stock.

No definition available.

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- Details

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- Definition

Represents the ownership percentage held by each shareholder.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the percentage of shipping income included in source shipping income attributable to transportation that begins or ends, but that does not both begin and end, in the domestic country of the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I)

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-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

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- Definition

Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a),(b)

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- Definition

The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Aggregate revenue during the period from services rendered in the normal course of business, after deducting allowances and discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(d))

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

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