2025 Maritime Digest of Arbitration Awards and Court Rulings
ASBATANKVOY -- ARBITRATION -- ACT OF GOD -- LOADPORT -- STORM -- DEMURRAGE -- CARGO -- SHORTLOADING -- Charterer Award
The Charterers began arbitration to recover losses stemming from two separate issues of alleged Owner error. Basis storm delays at loadport, the Charterers claimed that they should count at 50% the demurrage rate regardless of the Vessel already being on demurrage. The other issue centered upon the interpretation of "about" in the cargo stipulations and the subsequent Vessel shortloading which the Owners attribute to crew error.
ASBATANKVOY -- ARBITRATION -- BERTH -- DISPORT -- DRAFT -- CHANNEL -- Charterer Award
The Owners began arbitration to recover compensation for delays arising from the Vessel’s inability to safely berth at disport. They argue that the Charterers knowingly loaded the Vessel beyond the channel’s draft restrictions and are therefore responsible. Conversely, the Charterers claim that the root cause of delay was the Vessel’s failure to obtain the necessary TVE from the Coast Guard.
ASBATANKVOY -- LOAD OPERATIONS -- DEMURRAGE -- CHARTER PARTY -- BERTH -- SHIFTING TIME -- TANK PURGING -- CARGO -- Charterer Award
Over the course of load operations, the Vessel allegedly accrued demurrage basis certain charter party clauses, including berth call shifting time, tank purging, and cargo cooling.
ASBATANKVOY -- ARBITRATION -- VOYAGE -- LAYTIME -- QUARANTINE -- CUSTOMS -- BERTH -- PORT -- Owner Award
The arbitration proceedings encompass several points of contention during the voyage. Laytime disputes include laytime deductions for tank cleaning, laytime during quarantine and customs clearance, and daylight restrictions for berthing at port.
ASBATANKVOY --PORT -- DISPORT -- TERMINAL -- DRAFT -- BERTH -- DEMURRAGE -- LIGHTERING -- BARGE -- Owner Award
Upon arrival at the Charterer’s nominated port, the Vessel was loaded beyond the disport terminal’s published draft. So because the berth was unreachable upon arrival, the Owner subsequently submitted a demurrage claim for the time spent awaiting the Charterer’s lightering barges. The Charterer, however, cited other instances where vessels with greater drafts had berthed safely at the terminal.
ASBATANKVOY -- ARBITRATION -- LAYTIME -- VOYAGE -- TIME-BAR -- SEAWORTHY -- CARGO -- SHIP LOG -- DISPORT -- DEMURRAGE -- Charterer Award
This arbitration award covers several laytime issues between voyage parties. Pertinent issues include the time-bar clause, Owner’s diligence to provide a seaworthy Vessel, the Vessel’s minimum transit speed, the ship log of cargo temperature, daylight restrictions at the Charterer’s disport, and delays due to a census conducted by the disport’s national government.
ASBATANKVOY -- ARBITRATION -- LAYTIME -- VOYAGE -- PURGING -- DEMURRAGE -- MARITIME -- SHIFTING TIME -- Partial Owner Award
This arbitration award covers several laytime issues between voyage parties. The responsibility for time spent purging the Vessel’s tanks, shifting time, cooling down time, and the application of the maritime maxim "once on demurrage, always on demurrage" are all discussed in the proceedings.
ASBATANKVOY -- FOOT SAMPLE -- CHARTER PARTY -- REFINERY -- CONTAMINATION -- BALLAST -- SHIFT -- BERTH
After the Vessel failed both a tank inspection and the first foot sample, the Charterers exercised their right to terminate the charter party. However, the Owners insisted on a second foot sample and blamed the first foot sample’s contamination on the Refinery Loading Master’s order to ballast the Vessel during the shift to berth.
ASBATANKVOY -- LIGHTERING -- CARGO -- DISPORT -- PORT -- ANCHORAGE -- CHARTER PARTY -- BERTH -- DETENTION -- DEMURRAGE -- Partial Owner Award
The Charterer fully loaded the Vessel with the intention of lightering the cargo at disport. However, the Vessel remained at port anchorage for over sixteen days while discharging to lightering vessels. The Owner contended that the Charterer breached the charter party by not procuring a berth reachable upon arrival and therefore demanded damages at the detention rate instead of the demurrage rate.
ASBATANKVOY -- LOADPORT -- CARGO -- CHILLING -- CHARTER PARTY -- LAYCAN -- TERMINAL -- DEMURRAGE
After substituting the fixed Vessel for the slower-loading subject Vessel, further delays were incurred at loadport due to insufficient cargo chilling per charter requirements. The Owners argued that this extended laycan was faulted by the terminal’s breach of the charter party and claimed any excess loading time as demurrage.
