Ocean Clap Shipping Ltd v Global Offshore Services BV [2025] EWHC 1591 (Comm) - King's Bench Division, Commercial Court (Mr Justice Butcher) - 26 June 2025

Charterparties - Default - Whether charterparties replaced by general agreement - Guarantee of charterers' liability - Whether claim against guarantors had to be made during currency of guarantee

On 29 May 2014 the shipowner MTKS chartered the vessel MT Kailash to GOSBV under a bareboat charter. On 31 December 2014 the shipowner OCSL chartered the vessel Ben Nevis to GOSBV under a bareboat charter. Both OCSL and MTKS were special purpose vehicles owned by Minsheng, and their only business was leasing out the respective vessels. The charterers, GOSBV, was a company incorporated in the Netherlands, whose business was as an operator of offshore service vessels. The charterparties were of 72 months' duration.