2026 Maritime Digest of Arbitration Awards and Court Rulings

London Arbitration 16/18

DEMURRAGE – PORT CHARTER – NOTICE OF READINESS – WIPON PROVISION – GEOGRAPHICAL READINESS Owner claimed demurrage arising from delay where vessel was unable to proceed directly to berthing. The vessel tendered four notices of readiness, the third of which was argued as triggering laytime. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he dispute of this arbitration concerns establishing the party responsible...

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London Arbitration 11/18

TIME CHARTER PARTY – OFF HIRE – SUB-CHARTER – OFF SPECIFICATION CARGO – WRONGFUL REDELIVERY When vessel was detained due to legal proceedings by the receiver against the charterer due to off spec cargo, charterer deducted the lost time from hire. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]his arbitration was consolidated from two that were held concurrently in accordance with para...

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London Arbitration 9/18

TIME CHARTER – OFF-HIRE PROVISIONS – VESSEL PERFORMANCE – SPEED – CONSUMPTION – TIME BAR – HAGUE RULES Charterer made deductions to hire that were attributed to underperformance of the vessel. These deduction claims were submitted using the off-hire provision. Owner contended off-hire provisions did not account for deductions made in regard to vessel performance,...

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London Arbitration 4/18

TIME CHARTER PARTY – SLOW CRANE MOVEMENT DURING LOADING – UNDERPERFORMANCE OF VESSEL – WHETHER OWNER IN BREACH OF CHARTER PARTY Charterer claimed for time lost due to perceived slow movements of vessel’s cranes during loading operations and underperformance of vessel. It asserted that for both disputes the Owner breached warranties in the charter party....

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Glencore Energy UK Ltd v. OMV Supply and Trading Ltd – QBD (Comm Ct), 23 April 2018

DEMURRAGE – DETENTION – TIME BAR – NOTICE OF READINESS Vessel was requested to wait in gulf outside discharge port due to a lack of berthing prospects. Owner invoiced detention inclusive of extra bunkers consumed from CFR seller whom in turn claimed it from the CFR buyer.  The CFR time-barred the claim via the demurrage...

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Lexmar Corporation of Liberia, Chartered Owner, and Tricentrol Oil Trading Inc., S.A., Charterer, of the M/T GLEFI I – SMA 3199

VOYAGE CHARTER PARTY – DETENTION – SAFE PORT – SAFE BERTH – PORT OF HOUSTON Under the auspices that the Port of Houston was an unsafe port when the Vessel could not depart its discharge berth after a tug sank in the ship channel, Owner claimed detention.  Charterer contended that the contractual agreement ended upon...

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Blue Fin Tankers Inc. as Disponent Owner of the MIT DA YUAN HU and MIT DA MING HU as Claimant, and Owner and Tesoro Far East Maritime Company SA as Charterer, and Respondent – SMA 4323

DEMURRAGE – SUSPENDED LAYTIME – TAKING ON LUBE / SPARES – INTERNAL STRIPPING – PUMP WARRANTY – INTEREST – ASDEM PUMPING PERFORMANCE FORMULA Upon receipt of Owner’s demurrage claims, charterer deducted time whilst Vessel loaded lube and spares, internal stripping during discharge, and a deduction for failing to discharge within the warranted 24 hours or...

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CSSA Chartering and Shipping Services SA v Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (The “Pacific Voyager”) – Court of Appeal (Longmore and King LJJ and Sir Rupert Jackson) [2018] EWCA Civ 2413– 6 November 2018

VOYAGE CHARTER PARTY – SHELLVOY 5 – OBLIGATION TO COMMENCE VOYAGE – LAYCAN EQUIVALENT TO EXPECTED TIME OF ARRIVAL / EXPECTED READINESS TO LOAD – EXPECTED TIME OF ARRIVAL – EXPECTED READINESS TO LOAD – MONROE OBLIGATION Charterer claimed damages against Owner when Vessel was unable to proceed to loading port by the charter party...

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Toptip Holding Pte Ltd v Mercuria Energy Trading Pte Ltd and Another (The “Pan Gold”) – Court of Appeal (Sundaresh Menon CJ, Andrew Phang Boon Leong and Judith Prakash JJA) SGCA 64 – 23 November 2017

REPUDIATORY BREACH – CHARTER PARTY – EXISTENCE OF A COMPLETED CONTRACT – PRO FORMA CHARTER PARTY – COURT OF APPEAL The claimant charterer filed damages against defendant disponent owner for repudiatory breach of a charter party. The defendant argued that the presence of a Subject Review clause implied no formal contract existed. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]optip Holding Pte...

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London Arbitration 2/18

SALE OF GOODS (CFR) – DEMURRAGE – TIMELY PAYMENT OF FREIGHT – OBLIGATIONS UNDER SALES CONTRACT VS UNDER CHARTERPARTY – OWNERS REFUSING TO RELEASE BILLS OF LADING UNTIL FREIGHT PAYMENT

The CFR Sellers brought arbitration against their Buyers in order to indemnify themselves for demurrage caused by the Buyers delaying payment of the Owner’s freight.  Sellers argued that it was the Buyer’s responsibility to pay freight promptly under the contract. The Buyers countered that the obligation to pay freight accrued under the Seller’s charterparty, and therefore it was the Seller’s responsibility.  

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