Note 1 - General Information (Details Textual)					9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / item shares	Oct. 09, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares $ / item shares	Oct. 02, 2014	Jul. 15, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 15, 2014 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) t
Supramax Vessels [Member]
Vessels In Operation						43
Handymax Vessels [Member]
Vessels In Operation						1
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 50,000,000
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | Requirement in Third and Fourth Quarter of 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Minimum Threshold	100.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | Requirement in 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Minimum Threshold	110.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | Requirement in 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Minimum Threshold	120.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | Through December 31, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Periodic Payment Amount, Percentage of Excess Cash Flow from Preceding Period	75.00%
Debt Instrument, Maximum Annual Periodic Payment	$ 15,625,000
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member] | After December 31, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment	3,906,250
Subsequent Event [Member] | First Lien Facility [Member] | First Lien Lenders [Member]
Long-term Debt	201,468,750
Debt Agreement, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	10,000,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs	600,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold	$ 8,140,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold Per Vessel | $ / item	185,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt	$ 11,718,750
Subsequent Event [Member] | Second Lien Facility [Member] | Second Lien Lenders [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	14.00%
Debt Instrument, Reference Rate Floor	1.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Second Lien Facility [Member] | Second Lien Lenders [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	13.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Second Lien Facility [Member] | Second Lien Lenders [Member]
Long-term Debt	$ 2,020
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Minimum Threshold	100.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold	$ 6,512,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold Per Vessel | $ / item	148,000
Creditor Investment in Reporting Entity, Ownership Percentage	60000000.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal	110.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Maximum Threshold	120.00%
Debt Instrument, Issuance of Stock to Lenders Pro Rata Based on Participation | shares	344,587,536
Debt Instrument, Target Ownership of Outstanding Common Stock by Lenders	2.00%
Debt Instrument, Issuance of Stock to Lenders Pro Rata Based on Participation, Percentage of Outstanding Stock	90.00%
Debt Instrument, Issuance of Stock to Lenders Based on Participation | shares	7,619,213
Debt Instrument, Issuance of Stock to Lenders Based on Participation, Percent of Previous Outstanding Common Stock	19.90%
Debt Instrument, Additional Stock Equal to or in Excess of Share Count	20.00%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 50,000,000
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs		$ 5,500,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity						$ 40,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage		40.00%
Line of Credit [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		3.50%
Line of Credit [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate		4.00%
Line of Credit [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 275,000,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Minimum Threshold		150.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold		$ 20,000,000
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Minimum Liquidity, Minimum Threshold Per Vessel | $ / item		500,000
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment		$ 3,906,250
Debt Instrument, Covenant Percentage of Aggregate Principal, Maximum Threshold		165.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage		40.00%
Cancellation of All Outstanding Equity Interests [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Bankruptcy Exchanged to Common Stockholders [Member]
Restructuring Covenant Percentage of Equity Exchanged		0.50%
Extinguishment of All Loans and Other Obligations [Member] | Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Bankruptcy Exchanged to Common Stockholders [Member]
Restructuring Covenant Percentage of Equity Exchanged		99.50%
Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Bankruptcy Exchanged to Common Stockholders [Member] | New Eagle Equity Warrants [Member]
Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding | shares		3,045,327
Warrant Term		7 years
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Each Warrant or Right | shares		1
Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Management Equity Incentive Plan [Member] | Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Percentage of Outstanding Stock Maximum		5.50%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Rights, Percentage		25.00%
Restructuring Support Agreement and Plan of Reorganization [Member] | Management Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Percentage of Outstanding Stock Maximum		2.00%
New Eagle Equity Warrants [Member]
Warrant Term		7 years
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Each Warrant or Right | shares		1
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights | $ / shares		$ 27.82
Warrants Issued | shares					3,045,327
Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate					1.79%
Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate					50.00%
Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate					0.00%
Aggregate Fair Value of Warrants					$ 19,200,000
Vessels In Operation						44
Dead Weight Tonnage of Operating Fleet | t						2,404,064
Average Age in Years of Operating Fleet						8 years 146 days
Charters Agreement Term		1 year 180 days	7 years
Repayments of Long-term Debt					182,603,425
Post Confirmation Enterprise Value, Range of Outcomes, Low				$ 850,000,000
Post Confirmation Enterprise Value, Range of Outcomes, High				950,000,000
Debtor Reorganization Items, Line of Credit				225,000,000
Post Confirmation Implied Equity Value, Range of Outcomes, Low				625,000,000
Post Confirmation Implied Equity Value, Range of Outcomes, High				$ 725,000,000
Post Confirmation Enterpise Value					857,000,000
Postconfirmation, Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity					925,000,000
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt					350,883,921
Fresh Start Adjustment, Increase (Decrease) Other Current and Noncurrent Liabilities					$ (6,562,498)