Opening something up, at the start of lockdown

Posted on 30th April 2020 at 09:47

A recent case may be of great significance for fixtures that stipulate pro rata demurrage amid simultaneous handling of different parcels.

Coronavirus Act 2020 - power to suspend port operations

Posted on 26th March 2020 at 16:35

The Coronavirus Act 2020 was passed in the UK on 25 March and largely brought straight into force, owners and charterers will want to be aware of the importance of this for port matters.

Free Pratique, NOR and LOP

Posted on 30th January 2020 at 12:03

Seeking to prevent the spread of formerly incurable diseases, in centuries past a port would bar a vessel until it promised that it carried no communicable sickness.

The Bigger Picture

Posted on 17th January 2020 at 08:05

Demurrage disputes mostly involve contests on the validity of tender of NOR, consideration of an SOF, exceptions to time counting, WWDs, WIPON, WIBON and so on, force majeure, and wrangles over claims - and the adequacy of supporting documents - within deadlines set by completion of discharge.

Demurrage time bar - another path across this old ground?

Posted on 14th January 2020 at 15:32

It is notorious that voyage charterparties bar demurrage claims unless presented, with the necessary documents, within a set time after completion of discharge. This is to allow issues to be investigated before recollections fade and the trail goes cold.

Logjam - London Arbitration 22/19

Posted on 17th December 2019 at 10:08

London Arbitration 22/19 [(2019) 1040 LMLN 1] involved a log carrier chartered for a part cargo. Owners agreed to change the original disport in return for increased freight, and later claimed about $89,000. Charterers countered for over $55,000, and demurrage was central amid many issues arising from a seeming straightforward fixture.

Weather, or not?

Posted on 9th December 2019 at 09:48

Bad weather, and the threat of it, is certainly topical. We briefly discussed this in our post of 7 June, it was highly newsworthy recently and it came up again in London Arbitration 21/19 [(2019) 1039 LMLN 1]. There, with about $321,000 at stake, the Tribunal discussed the distinction between actual and approaching bad weather, and considered the meaning of “attributable” in common exclusion wording.

Casablanca, and back - London Arbitration 14/19

Posted on 28th November 2019 at 10:19

London Arbitration 14/19 [(2019) 1032 LMLN] involved a vessel fixed under an amended Norgrain form to carry soybean meal from Savannah to Huelva, Casablanca and Oran.

Anchor Away - London Arbitration 16/9

Posted on 18th November 2019 at 08:28

Our title here is the common misconstruction of “anchor aweigh”, but it is appropriate for London Arbitration 16/19 [(2019) 1037 LMLN 3], which concerned a vessel that tendered NOR with one of its anchors missing.

Working hours - a dated but still key notion?

Posted on 11th November 2019 at 13:10

A common stipulation is that NOR is tendered during working hours, or more usually within stated such times, thus governing laytime but perhaps also giving charterers the right to cancel.

Archives