Note 15 - Voyage Expenses and Vessel Operating Expenses (Detail) - Vessels' Operating Expenses (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Crew wages and related costs	$ 19,304,929	$ 22,044,479	$ 23,998,949
Insurance	1,260,289	1,410,889	1,623,582
Repairs and maintenance	3,026,513	4,940,185	4,814,718
Spares and consumable stores	5,313,053	5,886,002	5,838,470
Miscellaneous expenses	1,687,193	2,276,598	2,062,344
Total	$ 30,591,977	$ 36,558,153	$ 38,338,063

Cost of repairs and maintenance during the period.

No definition available.

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- Definition

No authoritative reference available.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The expense in the period incurred with respect to protection provided by insurance entities against risks other than risks associated with production (which are allocated to cost of sales).

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The aggregate amount of expenditures for salaries, wages, profit sharing and incentive compensation, and other employee benefits, including equity-based compensation, and pension and other postretirement benefit expense.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Excludes Selling, General and Administrative Expense.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The total amount of other operating cost and expense items that are associated with the entity's normal revenue producing operation.

+ 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 210.5-03.3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 3

-Article 5

+ Details

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