Gard Shipping AS v Clearlake Shipping Pte Ltd (QBD Comm Ct) (Sir Jeremy Cooke sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) [2017] EWHC 1091 (Comm) – 12 May 2017

Charterparty – Demurrage – Bunkers consumed – Charterparty clause giving liberty to charterers to instruct vessel “to stop and wait for orders” in which event charterer to pay demurrage at escalated rate and value of bunkers consumed – Whether clause applied where vessel waited over 64 days at discharge port after giving notice of readiness

The vessel Zaliv Baikal was chartered for one voyage from Ust-Luga to one or two safe port(s) “UK CONT NORTH SPAIN – HAMBURG RANGE”. The charterparty was subsequently varied to provide for a second voyage in direct continuation from the first, with the loadport specified as one safe port Ust-Luga or St Petersburg and the discharge range as before.