Investments, At Equity, And Advances To 50% Or Less Owned Companies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended							3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 MexMar [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 MexMar [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 MexMar [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 MexMar [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Sea-Cat Crewzer II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Sea-Cat Crewzer II [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Sea-Cat Crewzer II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sea-Cat Crewzer II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Dynamic Offshore Drilling Ltd. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Dynamic Offshore Drilling Ltd. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Dynamic Offshore Drilling Ltd. [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Sea Cat Crewzer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Sea Cat Crewzer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sea Cat Crewzer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sea Cat Crewzer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Nautical Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Nautical Power [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 OSV Partners [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 OSV Partners [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 OSV Partners [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2012 OSV Partners [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 C-Lift LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 C-Lift LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 SCFCo Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 SCFCo Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 SCFCo Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 SCFCo Holdings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Bunge-SCF Grain [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Bunge-SCF Grain [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Bunge-SCF Grain [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 SCF Bunge Marine [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 SCF Bunge Marine [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 SCF Bunge Marine [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 SCF Bunge Marine [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Soylutions [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Inland River Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Inland River Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Dorian LPG [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2011 Dorian LPG [Member]	Feb. 06, 2014 Dorian LPG [Member]	Nov. 18, 2013 Dorian LPG [Member]	Jul. 25, 2013 Dorian LPG [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Dorian LPG [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Trailer Bridge Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Trailer Bridge Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Trailer Bridge Inc [Member]	Apr. 02, 2012 Trailer Bridge Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 SeaJon [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 SeaJon [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Witt O'Brien's LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Witt O'Brien's LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited [Member]	Jun. 01, 2011 Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Avion Pacific Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Avion Pacific Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Avion Pacific Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Avion Pacific Limited [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Other Corporate Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Corporate Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Corporate Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Illinois Corn Processing LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Illinois Corn Processing LLC [Member]	Feb. 01, 2012 Illinois Corn Processing LLC [Member]	Nov. 20, 2009 Illinois Corn Processing LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Avion Logistics Limited [Member]	Jun. 01, 2011 Avion Logistics Limited [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Other Corporate Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Other Corporate Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Soylutions Acquisition [Member]	Jul. 29, 2011 Soylutions Acquisition [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 C-Lift LLC [Member]	Jun. 06, 2013 C-Lift LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ICP Acquisition [Member]	Feb. 01, 2012 ICP Acquisition [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2012 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2013 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] MexMar [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2013 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] Sea-Cat Crewzer II [Member] equipment	Mar. 31, 2013 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Support Vessels [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member] equipment	Jun. 30, 2013 Very Large Gas Carrier [Member] Dorian LPG [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2013 Title XI Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Title XI Bonds [Member]	Apr. 02, 2012 Title XI Bonds [Member] Trailer Bridge Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Owned [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member] equipment	Dec. 31, 2013 Bareboat Chartered-In [Member] Other Offshore Marine Services Joint Ventures [Member] equipment
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Cumulative undistributed net earnings of 50% or less owned companies accounted for by the equity method included in the Company's consolidated retained earnings		$ 23,900,000	$ 24,600,000
Number of Equipment Operated																							6						10																	3																																																					9	1
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transaction, Revenues from Transactions with Related Party	6,600,000	44,800,000		300,000	300,000	100,000		200,000								800,000	800,000	800,000					200,000				600,000	600,000		600,000						1,000,000	1,000,000	300,000		40,800,000	40,900,000	41,000,000																																					5,000,000
Dividends received from 50% or less owned companies	9,490,000	6,606,000	8,346,000												1,300,000				5,300,000								900,000																															2,000,000
Number Of Equipments Delivered																																																																																								0	0	0	1	2
Bridge Loan																																																							20,800,000
Marketable security gains (losses), net	5,803,000	12,891,000	(7,893,000)																																																		9,800,000
Debt Instrument, Final Baloon Payment																																																								29,700,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired																																																																												100.00%							100.00%		50.00%		70.00%
Business Acquisition, Preexisting Relationship, Gain (Loss) Recognized																																																	1,100,000										9,700,000														6,000,000										2,300,000		4,200,000
Cash paid on acquisition						17,100,000						10,000,000																															11,900,000																																1,000,000							11,900,000		13,300,000		9,100,000
Gain/(loss) due to adjustments to equity method investments																																																																											300,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage				49.00%					50.00%				19.00%			50.00%			50.00%				30.40%		50.00%								50.00%			50.00%				50.00%					50.00%	21.80%		19.30%	21.80%	25.00%				47.30%	47.26%	50.00%		50.00%			34.20%		34.20%				39.10%										20.00%	34.00%		50.00%	50.00%
Proceeds From Property And Equipment Sales To Fifty Percent Or Less Owned Companies				36,400,000	50,000,000				47,300,000													14,500,000							5,400,000	7,600,000
Equity Method Investments	440,853,000	272,535,000		28,564,000	18,162,000				22,900,000		0		11,622,000	10,483,000		7,833,000	7,183,000		6,399,000	11,060,000			3,951,000	0	0	5,445,000			17,891,000		14,472,000		27,710,000	25,351,000		17,697,000	19,315,000			6,158,000	5,604,000			3,574,000	3,846,000	129,785,000					0		60,224,000	57,881,000	9,900,000	9,479,000	6,799,000	52,289,000	50,261,000		21,596,000	23,004,000			11,152,000		13,127,000		446,000	2,125,000
Acquired economic interest																																																										54.20%
Debt instrument, stated percentage																																																							9.25%							10.00%																																		6.50%
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount						8,400,000
Additional ownership acquired percentage																																																												1.70%
Temporary working capital advances provided				1,700,000																			7,600,000									3,100,000				2,500,000	5,000,000
Temporary Working Capital Advances Repaid during the Period																																	(1,800,000)			(500,000)
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions																																												400,000													20,000,000												1,200,000
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Maximum Quantity																																																																																								16							2
Outstanding temporary working capital advances																																	1,300,000
Revolving line of credit																																																																										20,000,000
Received repayments of line of credit						(14,900,000)																																														(2,100,000)	(1,100,000)											(1,000,000)	(15,700,000)	(4,600,000)						(1,700,000)
Notes Receivable, Related Parties																																																																	5,000,000		4,000,000							10,000,000
Advances made under revolving line of credit																																																																							300,000	4,300,000
Partners' Capital Account, Contributions				5,900,000					23,900,000												4,100,000						2,100,000					6,100,000		3,000,000	800,000			17,300,000								57,000,000	70,400,000									1,400,000												700,000			500,000
Outstanding borrowings under term loan	834,118,000	655,309,000																																																							40,000,000																																							85,217,000	90,733,000	5,100,000
Contribution of an equity interest																																																												2,000,000
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted																8,400,000																																								5,000,000
Loan outstanding to distributor	834,118,000	655,309,000																																																							40,000,000																																							85,217,000	90,733,000	5,100,000
Allocable share of uncalled capital																													2,400,000
Number Of Equipments Sold																																																																																													2	1
Guarantee of outstanding charter receivables																													1,100,000
Advanced to joint ventures																																				7,000,000																										3,300,000			11,000,000	9,500,000
Related party transaction expense																4,800,000	2,200,000	2,200,000																					42,600,000	41,100,000		42,400,000
Payments to Acquire Machinery and Equipment				30,400,000	5,000,000				44,500,000
Secured Debt					45,000,000		6,000,000			2,800,000																																													33,100,000
Secured Debt, Repayments				6,000,000
Equity Method Investments, Inclusive of Secured Debt																																																							48,100,000
Investment Owned, at Fair Value																																																							43,000,000
Partners' Capital Account, Contributions, Cash																																														42,100,000
Partners' Capital Account, Contributions, Noncash																																														$ 14,900,000