Author: Haugen Consulting
NYPE 93 -- OFF-HIRE -- EARLY REDELIVERY AND BUNKER LIABILITY -- MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES -- Partial Owner Award
This arbitration dealt with a number of issues under a time charter. Namely, when does hire resume after an off-hire period for drydocking, early redelivery by Charterer, responsibility for bunkers consumed after early redelivery, an alleged off-hire period whilst the Vessel’s cranes were inoperable and finally, the distribution of numerous charges incurred during the time charter.
ASBATANKVOY -- CARGO CONTAMINATION -- DELAYED DISCHARGE DUE HIGH HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) VAPORS -- COGSA -- HEATING AND PURGING COSTS -- LOST PROFITS ON MISSED VOYAGE -- Partial Owner Award
When a prior cargo apparently contaminated Charterer’s cargo, Charterer claimed for the cost needed to decontaminate it. Owner in turn denied Charterer’s claim and claimed demurrage incurred whilst Charterer was treating the cargo, heating and purging costs and lost profits when a subsequent fixture was cancelled as a result of the delayed discharge.
WORLDSCALE -- PORT EXPENSES -- AMOCO CLAIMS CLAUSE -- TIME BAR -- Charterer Award
When Charterer directed the Vessel to a port which did not have an established Worldscale (WS) rate, Charterer advised Owner that port expenses would be for Charterer's account. When Owner's claim for port expenses arrived 155 days after discharge, Charterer rejected the claim stating it was barred under the Amoco Claims Clause.
BALTIME 1939 -- NON-PAYMENT OF HIRE AND BUNKERS -- REPUDIATORY BREACH -- QUANTUM MERUIT FOR COMPLETION OF VOYAGE -- Owner Award
When Charterer failed to pay three installments of hire, other expenses and arrange and pay for bunkers under a time charter contract, Owner first informed Charterer that they were suspending performance of the charter until outstanding hire was paid and then three days later, informed Charterer that they accepted Charterer's repudiatory breach. At the time of the repudiatory breach the Vessel was at sea en-route to the disport and in fact Vessel continued on to the disport and discharged Charterer's cargo.
BALTIME 1939 -- VESSEL BREAKDOWN -- WRONGFUL TERMINATION -- REPUDIATORY BREACH -- DAMAGES -- Owner Award
When Charterer emailed Owner that Owner had committed breaches of two time charter parties amounting to repudiations and that the two charter parties were terminated, Owner responded by stating Charterer's email was itself a repudiatory breach and that the charter parties were thusly terminated. Owner claimed damages in the form of lost profits due to early redelivery, unpaid hire and fees, detention at the disport and the cost incurred when containers were left on board one of the vessels at redelivery.
GAFTA FORM 120 -- FOB SALE -- INSUFFICIENT ETA NOTICE -- REPUDIATORY BREACH -- Buyer Award
When the FOB Buyer failed to nominate the vessel at least 7 working days prior to vessel's ETA, Seller rejected the nomination. Despite non-conformity with the contract’s ETA requirement, this was not a sufficient basis for Seller to repudiate the contract.
SUGAR CHARTER PARTY 1999 -- INVALID NOTICE OF READINESS -- DEMURRAGE -- ALLEGED SERIOUS IRREGULARITY BY ARBITRATORS -- Owner Award
In ruling for Charterer in an arbitration on documents alone, the Panel noted that as Charterer had not introduced the case of "The Happy Day", the inclusion of which may have further reduced Charterer's demurrage obligation, the Panel need not consider it. Charterer subsequently appealed to the High Court on the basis that the arbitrators, knowing Charterer had made a concession, had a duty to alert Charterer and failing to do so it constituted a serious irregularity.
CONSTRUCTION OF WARRANTY -- OIL COMPANIES APPROVALS CLAUSE -- "TBOOK" DEFINED -- Owner Award
At the time of the fixture, Owner alleged that the Vessel was approved by five oil majors as required by the charter. Thus, when Charterer’s buyer rejected the Vessel due to a sea-chest valve needing repairs as imposed by the Class survey, a sale was lost with Charterer incurring substantial damages. The Commercial Court ruled Owner had breached the Oil Companies Approval Clause. The Court of Appeal overturned the Commercial Court’s ruling and clarified the meaning of the acronym "TBOOK" and the word “approved” in regards to the charter's majors approval requirement.
ASBATANKVOY -- WHETHER BERTH CONGESTION IS BEYOND CHARTERER’S CONTROL -- NOTICE OF READINESS PRIOR TO FREE PRATIQUE -- PRORATED LAYTIME -- Owner Award
Charterer attempted to dispute Owner's demurrage claim on the basis that berth congestion was a condition beyond charterer's control per ASBATANKVOY Clause 6, time cannot commence until the vessel is in free pratique, and time spent simultaneously discharging another charterer's cargo should be prorated.
EXXONMOBIL VOY 2005 -- INTEREST ON UNDISPUTED DEMURRAGE -- ADVERSE WEATHER -- DEPARTURE DELAY DUE TUGS -- SIGNING DOCUMENTS -- REDELIVERY OF LIGHTERAGE EQUIPMENT AND MOORING MASTER -- Partial Owner Award
At issue is whether Charterer is responsible for interest on a late payment of undisputed demurrage, whether weather related delays existed within the context of ExxonMobil VOY2005's Clause 14, whether Charterer or Owner was responsible for the delay in departing berth due to a lack of tugs, whether time ceased at documents onboard or upon signing, and the assessment of time after a transshipment i.e. whether time stops at hoses off or upon the Vessel redelivering the lighterage equipment and mooring master.
