2025 Maritime Digest of Arbitration Awards and Court Rulings
GENERAL AVERAGE – WHETHER VESSEL WAS UNSEAWORTHY – OBLIGATION TO EXERCISE DUE DILIGENCE – WHETHER PASSAGE PLAN WAS DEFECTIVE Cargo interests refused to contribute to general average after the Vessel was grounded. It claimed the grounding was the result of the Owner’s failure to exercise due diligence in providing a seaworthy vessel. When the container vessel CMA CGM LIBRA (hereinafter, “Vessel”) was grounded whilst departing the port of Xiamen, China the cargo interests denied contribution to general average due to the cause of the grounding. The Owner stated that the grounding occurred as a result of an uncharted shoal. It...
PIRACY – HIRE – APPEAL – WHETHER CAPTURE AND ARREST CLAUSE APPLIED – WHETHER PIRACY CLAUSE APPLIED Owner claimed for lost hire from Charterer totaling about $5.6 million, the majority of which was lost due to the Vessel being captured by pirates. To support their claim, the Owner stated the capture and arrest clause did not apply since the Vessel was not captured by an “authority” as provided in the clause. Further, it was stated the piracy clause did not apply due to the capture occurring outside the geographical location listed in the clause. The Owner of the Eleni P...
DAMAGES – LOSS OF CARGO – WHETHER SEAWORTHINESS IS AN ABSOLUTE OBLIGATION – EXCLUSION CLAUSE – BILL OF LADING Cargo interests claimed damages against Owner for loss of deck cargo during the voyage. It was asserted that the Owner was liable due to negligence and its failure to ensure the vessel was seaworthy upon commencing the voyage. Owner contended that the exclusion clause provided in the bill of lading was applicable since it covered damages “howsoever caused”. The cargo interests (Aprile SpA and Others) claimed damages against Elin Maritime Ltd (hereinafter, “Owner”) for the loss of deck cargo resultant from...
DEMURRAGE – ASBATANKVOY – ARBITRATION CLAUSE – WHETHER ARBITRATORS HAD JURISDICTION – SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Charterer contended Owner’s demurrage and heating cost claim after it was brought to arbitration. It asserted that the claim was not in the arbitrator’s jurisdiction as it arose from the settlement agreement, which did not contain an arbitration clause. Under an amended Asbatankvoy form the vessel Four Island was chartered for carriage of fuel oil from Kavkaz to the discharge port of Novhodka in Russia. Owner claimed for demurrage and heating costs against Charterers totaling $909,148.08, which was settled in emails where the Charterer agreed to...
SPEED AND CONSUMPTION WARRANTIES – PERFORMANCE CLAIMS – GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS – DOUGLAS SEA STATE – SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT The Charterer claimed for damages for breach in the speed and performance warranty against Owner. Owner contended that there were no periods of time that satisfied “good weather” conditions. Charterer issued a performance claim against Owner amounting to a total of $128,388.86 for lost time and overconsumption of bunkers during a time charter trip from South Africa to China. Owner contended that they were not in breach of the speed and consumption warranty as there were no days that satisfied the...
DUE DILIGENCE – SAFE PORT SAFE BERTH WARRANTY – OIL SPILL – THIRD PARTY DAMAGES – SINGLE-POINT MOORING BUOY – PARTIAL FINAL AWARD Owner claimed against Charterer for hire and indemnity from a pollution incident during discharging operations. The basis of the Owner’s claim was the Charterer failed to exercise due diligence in nominating a safe berth. This partial final award determined the result of the indemnity claim. [dropcap]U[/dropcap]nder a time charter party on the Shelltime form with amendments, LR Mimosa Limited (hereinafter, “Owner”) entered into a charter of the M/T MIMOSA (hereinafter, “Vessel”) with Panamax International Shipping Company (hereinafter,...
TIME CHARTER – OFF-HIRE – HULL CLEANING – PERFORMANCE CLAIMS – OVERCONSUMPTION OF BUNKERS – GOOD WEATHER DAY – EXERCISE OF LIEN – DELAY Several disputes arose between Owner and Charterer under a time charter voyage with respect to off-hire, vessel performance, delays after discharging, and exercising liens. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]his arbitration covered several disputes arising from a voyage under a time charter on an amended NYPE form from Australia to India with a cargo of coal. The vessel made call in Singapore whilst on the way to the discharge port where the Charterer intended to bunker the vessel and the Owner...
PERFORMANCE CLAIMS – SPEED AND CONSUMPTION – “ABOUT” TOLERANCES – CURRANT FACTORS – WEATHER ROUTING SERVICES – AIS – OFF-HIRE Charterer claimed against Owner for issues regarding vessel performance and off-hire. [dropcap]C[/dropcap]harterer claimed the vessel underperformed and overconsumed on a voyage, which was chartered under an amended NYPE form for a time charter. The Charterer supported their performance claim by supplying reports of the vessel’s performance from three weather routing companies. These three companies were referred to as X, Y, and Z throughout the arbitration. In the weather routing clause of the charter party the Charterer was warranted not to...
PARTIAL FINAL AWARD – TIME BAR – HAGUE-VISBY RULES – COGSA – TRANSSHIPMENT – INDEMNITY – WHETHER CLAIM WAS RELATED TO CARGO DAMAGES OR INDEMNITY – UNSEAWORTHY Under a voyage charter the vessel became disabled whilst proceeding to the discharge port. Charterer incurred costs relating to salvage and transshipment of the cargo and claimed the amounts from the Owner and disponent owner. Owner contended that the claims were time-barred under COGSA and the Hague Rules. [dropcap]A[/dropcap]DM International Sarl (hereinafter, “ADMI”) claimed against FEDNAV International Ltd. (hereinafter, “FEDNAV”) and Reederei M. Lauterjung GmbH and Co. (hereinafter, “Owner”) for a dispute involving...
DEMURRAGE – AMENDED FINAL AWARD – NO OBJECTION TO CLAIM – NO RESPONSE FROM RESPONDENT Owner initiated arbitration proceedings against Charterer over an unpaid demurrage amount. Charterer issued no response or objection to the claim. [dropcap]B[/dropcap]BC Chartering Carriers GmbH Co. KG (hereinafter, “Owner”) claimed the demurrage balance from The Shopping Metal USA, Inc. (hereinafter, “Charterer”) after the Charterer failed to pay the outstanding balance within the time allocated by the charter party under the Gencon form. The demurrage amount in question totaled $13,265.62. Under the provisions of the charter party the dispute was to be conducted using the Shortened Arbitration...
