INCOME TAXES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 t	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
INCOME TAXES [Abstract]
Daily notional shipping income per 100 tons of the net tonnage of the vessel up to 25000 net tons	$ 0.40
Base quantity for calculation of daily notional shipping income	100
Net quantity range considered for calculation of daily notional shipping income	25,000
Daily notional shipping income per 100 tons of the net tonnage of the vessel in excess of 25000 net tons	0.20
Foreign earnings indefinitely reinvested	4,365,000	24,391,000	12,583,000
Reduction to its current year U.S. net operating loss	1,971,000
Income tax current recognition of earnings of foreign subsidiaries	1,971,000	0	2,564,000
DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES [Abstract]
Fixed Assets	(7,576,000)	(7,989,000)
Drydock Activities	(2,825,000)	0
Deferred Charges	(173,000)	(21,000)
Post-Retirement Benefits	(324,000)	(13,000)
Other Liability	0	0
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities	(10,898,000)	(8,023,000)
DEFERRED TAX ASSETS [Abstract]
Net Operating Loss Carryforwards	9,679,000	6,220,000
Minimum Tax Credit	5,179,000	5,179,000
Deferred Gain	2,524,000	0
Market Value Adjustments	1,468,000	1,588,000
Insurance and Claims Reserve	411,000	954,000
Work Opportunity Tax Credit	537,000	0
Lease Incentives	546,000	0
Other Assets	1,131,000	1,306,000
Total Deferred Tax Assets	21,475,000	15,247,000
Valuation Allowance	(10,577,000)	(7,224,000)
Net Deferred Tax Assets	10,898,000	8,023,000
TOTAL DEFERRED TAX	0	0
DEFERRED TAX COMPONENTS [Abstract]
Current	323,000	(158,000)
Non-current	(323,000)	158,000
TOTAL DEFERRED TAX	0	0
Components of income before provision (benefit) for income taxes [Abstract]
Domestic	16,668,000	11,704,000	29,321,000
Foreign	5,352,000	20,935,000	(24,591,000)
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes and Equity in Net Income of Unconsolidated Entities	22,020,000	32,639,000	4,730,000
Components of the income tax provision (benefit) [Abstract]
Current	296,000	680,000	692,000
Deferred	(453,000)	0	(1,982,000)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(157,000)	680,000	(1,290,000)
Reconciliation of U.S. statutory tax rate to our effective tax rate expense (benefit) [Abstract]
Statutory Rate (in hundredths)	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State Income Taxes (in hundredths)	0.10%	0.10%	0.70%
Effect of Tonnage Tax Rate (in hundredths)	(35.00%)	(19.90%)	(280.90%)
Foreign Earnings - Indefinitely Reinvested (in hundredths)	(6.90%)	(26.20%)	(31.90%)
Foreign Earnings (in hundredths)	0.00%	0.00%	7.30%
Change in Valuation Allowance (in hundredths)	3.50%	7.60%	9.60%
Foreign Income Taxes (in hundredths)	0.90%	1.80%	10.20%
E&P Limitations (in hundredths)	1.60%	3.60%	225.50%
Permanent Differences and Other, Primarily Non-deductible Expenditures (in hundredths)	0.10%	0.10%	(2.80%)
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations (in hundredths)	(0.70%)	2.10%	(27.30%)
Tonnage tax included in income tax benefit	64,000	78,000	78,000
Foreign income taxes	205,000	588,000	581,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	94,000
Unrecognized tax benefits [Abstract]
Total unrecognized tax benefits as of: January 1,	1,400,000	1,400,000
Increases (decreases) in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of [Abstract]
Tax positions taken during a prior year	0	0
Lapse of applicable statute of limitations	(1,400,000)	0
Total unrecognized tax benefits as of: December 31,	0	1,400,000	1,400,000
Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards generated during period	3,026,000
Net operating loss carryforwards	26,138,000	23,112,000
Minimum tax credit carryforwards	5,179,000
Federal [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration period	2024
Federal [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration period	2032
State [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards generated during period	93,000
Net operating loss carryforwards	12,573,000	12,480,000
State [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration period	2024
State [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration period	2032
Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards generated during period	$ 2,823,000