Author: Miriam Bailey

Current / English Maritime Cases / Featured / Maritime Articles

Priminds Shipping (HK) Co Ltd v Noble Chartering Inc (The “Tai Prize”) – QBD (Comm Ct) (HHJ Pelling QC) [2020] EWHC 127 (Comm) – 31 January 2020

BILL OF LADING – DAMAGED CARGO – LIABILITY FOR DAMAGED CARGO – INDEMNITY – DISPONENT OWNERS – TIME CHARTER – HAGUE RULES When a vessel commenced unloading in China, receivers discovered the soybean cargo had heat and mold damage. The Chinese courts upheld a claim by the receivers against the shipowner for US$ 1,086,564.70. The shipowner sought arbitration in London against Noble Chartering, the head charterer/disponent owner, for fifty percent of the amount paid to the receivers. Noble then requested London arbitration against its charterer, Priminds Shipping, claiming indemnity and legal fees. Priminds appealed the arbitration ruling to the High Court.
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Current / English Maritime Cases / Maritime Articles

London Arbitration 21/21

ASBATANKVOY - FRUSTRATION – VOLGA-DON SHIPPING CANAL (VDSC) – WINTER CLOSURE – ADDITIONAL FREIGHT - DEVIATION – INTERIM PORT CLAUSE – ALTERNATIVE DISCHARGE CLAUSE – DEADFREIGHT – DEMURRAGE - DELAY A sea-river vessel was chartered on an amended Asbatankvoy to transport fuel oil. The vessel was to sail from Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, to OPL Kavkaz, Russia, via the Volga-Don Shipping Canal (the VDSC). The VDSC accelerated its official closing for the season, and the vessel was refused “commercial” entrance. The charter was frustrated, and the vessel was forced to retrace its route back to the Caspian Sea. Owners claimed additional freight, deadfreight, deviation, quantum meruit demurrage, and damages for detention.
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U.S. Maritime Cases

Tricon Dry Chemicals LLC v Global Petro Converge – SMA 4391, 17 Jul 2020

PURCHASE CONTRACTS – FORCE MAJEURE – TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE CLAUSE – LOSS OF PROFITS – CALCULATION OF DAMAGES
When Respondent failed to ship purchased cargoes in a timely manner, Claimant charged the Respondent failed to perform its obligations under two separate purchase contracts and sought damages, interest, legal, and arbitration fees. Respondent claimed force majeure for changes in Saudi Arabian export laws and delays due to the holy month of Ramadan and Eid holiday.

English Maritime Cases

London Arbitration 15/21

DEMURRAGE – BERTH OPERATOR RULES (UBT) – COMMENCE OF LAYTIME – DESPATCH
Owner claimed demurrage was due to delays at the Davant, Mississippi, loading port and cited the charterparty. Charterer countered Owner owed despatch and that UBT Rules as incorporated into the fixture superseded the charterparty.

English Maritime Cases

London Arbitration 20/21

NORGRAIN – CHANGE IN DISCHARGE PORT NOMINATION – OWNERS CLAIM FREIGHT FOR TRANSPORT TO FIRST PORT NOMINATED– ESTOPPEL – UNJUST ENRICHMENT
The vessel was chartered on an amended Norgrain form to transport a cargo of soybeans from Brazil to China. Discharge port(s) were nominated during the voyage and subsequently changed. The owner asserted the first ports nominated were binding and freight payable basis same although the vessel did not complete passage to these ports and instead discharged cargo at another port.

English Maritime Cases

London Arbitration 9/22

AMENDED NYPE – OFF HIRE – FAILURE TO PRESENT CLEAN HOLDS – DAMAGES FOR FAILURE TO PRESENT CLEAN HOLDS – RATE OF OFF-HIRE – BREACH OF CHARTERPARTY
The vessel was chartered on an amended NYPE form for a charter trip. Off-hire was claimed for failure to provide clean holds, and the rate of off-hire contested. Charterer also sought damages for breach of the charterparty due to rejection of the holds.

English Maritime Cases

London Arbitration 6/22

NYPE FORM – TIME CHARTER – HOLD CLEANING – OFF HIRE DURING EXTENDED HOLD CLEANING – COVID-19 PANDEMIC – COVID-19 PROTOCOLS – OFF HIRE DUE TO ALLEGED CREW SICKNESS 

Two disputes for off-hire developed on a one time, time charter trip from India to China relating to extended hold cleaning and alleged crew sickness.

English Maritime Cases

London Arbitration 4/22

NYPE FORM – TIME CHARTER – PANDEMIC – COVID-19 PROTOCOLS – OFF HIRE – PUT BACK – DELAY – DEFAULT OF MASTER – BREACH OF CHARTER

A standoff between a vessel and pilot company over owners’ Covid-19 protocols and pilots boarding resulted in a delay to berth of almost nine days. The owners added the lost time to their final account and the charterers filed a counterclaim, citing off-hire and put back.