The Gulf Atlantic

The Maltese Commercial Courts recently held that the issue of precautionary warrants of seizure and impediment of departure (equivalent to an order for arrest) against a ship could not be issued on a claim which has been submitted to arbitration in an agreement relating to the sale of a ship. The Gulf Atlantic was sold by its Norwegian owners subject to the terms of the Norwegian Sale Form to a company which then nominated a Maltese company as buyer. At the time when the ship