Short answer: Laycan extraction from broker emails is difficult because brokers use short dates, mixed separators, relative wording and region-specific shorthand. LaycanMatch tries to normalize the date window, preserve the original text and surface low-confidence cases for broker review instead of pretending every laycan can be read with certainty.
Common laycan formats in broker emails
- 10/15 Jul
- 22-28 July
- abt mid July
- prompt
- spot
- end June / early July
- 1H Aug
- 2H Sep
- mid/end July
- late Jul
- 5 days either side
- 10 days around 25 Jul
- open 24/27 Jul
- ETA 03 Aug, ldcan 05/10 Aug
- firm 12-14 July
- subj stem 15/20 Jul
- beg Aug
- prompt end June
- early/mid Aug
- around first week July
These are exactly the kinds of strings that make simple keyword parsing unreliable.
Examples: raw laycan text to normalized output
| Raw text | Normalized interpretation | Review note |
|---|---|---|
| 22/28 July | 2026-07-22 to 2026-07-28 | Direct range |
| mid July | Approx. 2026-07-13 to 2026-07-17 | Approximate window |
| late Jul | Approx. 2026-07-23 to 2026-07-31 | Approximate window |
| prompt | No fixed date range | Needs desk interpretation |
| 1H Aug | 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-15 | Half-month shorthand |
| end June / early July | Bridging two date windows | Low confidence unless context helps |
| 5 days either side | Relative to another anchor date | Needs source context |
| ETA 03 Aug, ldcan 05/10 Aug | 2026-08-05 to 2026-08-10 | Choose laycan, not ETA |
Example broker emails where laycan can be misread
Example broker email:
"MV SEA ORBIT open Iskenderun 14 Jul, can work 2/3 days either side, pref Red Sea cargoes."
Laycan interpretation:
The source implies a flexible opening around 14 July, not a hard fixed laycan. A system should preserve the flexibility note and avoid pretending the vessel is simply open on one date.
Example cargo circular:
"Need 28k scrap ex West Med prompt / very early Aug, charterers can stretch if ship in area."
Laycan interpretation:
"Prompt / very early Aug" is commercially useful, but not a clean normalized date range without desk context. Confidence should fall and broker review should stay visible.
Ambiguous cases where broker review is required
Laycan becomes ambiguous when the email bundles cargo and vessel notes together, uses relative terms without a reference date, mixes ETA and laycan, or says things like "owners flexible", "charterers might accept few days either side" or "open around then".
Not legal or commercial advice: Laycan normalization is operational support only. The broker still checks the actual circular, recap and negotiation context.
What LaycanMatch does not do
LaycanMatch does not invent exact calendar dates when the broker email is commercially ambiguous, and it does not replace broker judgment on whether a window is still workable. The system keeps the raw laycan text, proposes normalized dates where the wording supports it, and flags uncertainty where it does not.
The goal is faster review with an auditable source trail, not false certainty from aggressive date guessing.