Lloyd's Maritime Law Newsletter

Sale of goods (CFR) – Sale contract requiring buyers to pay charterparty freight to sellers as soon as possible after signing bills of lading – Buyers failing to make timely payment – Shipowners refusing to release bill of lading until freight paid – Delay in freight payment resulting in demurrage liability under charterparty – Whether sellers entitled to indemnity from buyers in respect of demurrage liability

Charterparty – Non-payment of hire – Owners withdrawing vessel from charterers’ service – Anti-technicality clause – Whether withdrawal premature – Whether owners in repudiatory breach – Whether charterers entitled to balance of hire – Whether owners entitled to additional hire

Carriage of goods by sea – Barratry – Chief engineer deliberately setting fire to vessel – Relevance of chief engineer’s state of mind – Whether shipowners entitled to rely on Hague Rules exemptions of “fire” and “any other cause”

Demurrage – Whether claim time-barred – Whether notice of readiness valid Charterparty – Charterers failing to provide cargo and cancelling contract – Whether owners affirmed contract – Whether owners entitled to damages for repudiatory breach

Contract of affreightment – Damages – Charterers failing to provide any cargoes within contract period – Owners claiming damages for breach – Assessment of “available market” rate

Charterparty – Cranes – Charterers complaining of slow crane movement during loading operations – Whether owners in breach of charter – Speed and consumption – Charterers complaining that vessel failed to achieve warranted economic speed – Whether owners in breach of charter