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最近一直在思索一件事情,期租情况下的中间航次船如果fail了验舱,到底该由哪一方来负责?船东可以说百分百的责任都在租家身上吗?有没有例外?
今天来分享一下我的心(胡)路(思)历(乱)程(想)。
举个栗子
有条船在卸完coal之后交船给期租的租家,期租的第一载货是钢材,船顺利通过了装钢材的验舱;第二载货是粮食,船验舱没过,因为surveyor发现舱壁还有装完煤残留的黑色痕迹。
按照常理分析,船fail验舱是在装第二载货的时候,而顺利通过第一载货的验舱,似乎船东不用对第二载货的验舱负责,fail inspection的时间和费用都不用船东承担,因为压根儿不是船东的责任,真的是这样吗?
一定要视合同条款而定!
(作为一个好的操作,记得处理带争议的事情之前一定要看CP,没有争议的事情,也要看CP!)
合同(比如NYPE 46)中有如下涉及到hold cleaning的条款:
Main Body
1. Clause 21: Vessel on her delivery to be ready to receive cargo with clean-swept holds and tight, staunch, strong and in every way fitted for...
Rider
2. Vessel's hold on delivery or latest arrival first load port to be clean swept/washed down by fresh water and dried up so as to receive Charterers' any permissible cargo under charter party in bulk, in all respects free of salt, loose rust scale and previous cargo residue to the satisfaction of independent surveyors. Should the vessel fail her hold inspection, the vessel shall be placed off-hire from the rejection until the vessel passed the same survey and any proven directly related expenses to be for owners' account.
3. Intermediate hold cleaning
1) The Charterer shall provide and pay extra for intermediate hold cleaning between voyages provided such work can be undertaken by crew and is permitted by local regulations at the rate of US$xx per hold.
2) Such cleaning to be performed by vessel crew, provided the crew is able to safely undertake such work, while the vessel is en route to the next loading port always provided that weather permitting. the Owners shall not in any way be responsible if the vessels holds are not accepted or passed for the next cargo and all time lost or expenses incurred as a result of any failure shall be for Charterers’ account. Time for cleaning shall be for Charterers’ account.
3) It is also understood that any fresh water and/or chemicals required by the vessel to carry out such
cleaning to be supplied to the vessel at Charterers' time/expense...
现在开始来分析条款:
根据Clause 21,要求大舱在交船的时候就应该准备好——很显然,实际不可能在交船的时候就准备好大舱。
根据Rider条款里面的第一条,船最迟要在到达装港的时候做好大舱(这条相当于已经overwrite Clause 21)——船实际做到了,通过了验舱。
根据Rider条款里面的第二条,船东不再负责船能否通过第二载货的验舱——不幸的是,第二载货验舱没有通过,争议就此产生了。
租家主张船之所以fail验舱是因为发现残留的黑色痕迹black stains,这是交船之前就存在的,不是自己的责任;船东则主张我的责任在过第一载货验舱的时候就结束了,第二载货的验舱不归我管。究竟谁对,谁错?
再来读一遍条款,“Vessel's hold on delivery or latest arrival first load port to be clean swept/washed down by fresh water and dried up so as to receive Charterers' any permissible cargo under charter party in bulk...'。有没有觉得不一样了?按照条款,在交船的时候(最晚到达第一个装港时)船东要负责船可以通过所有合同中允许装的货物(这可多了去了T_T)的验舱。虽然船确实过了钢材的验舱(想知道关于钢材的洗舱、装卸货的注意事项,请戳这里),但是钢材跟粮食对大舱的要求可完全不在一个水平线上(想知道关于粮食的洗舱、装卸货的注意事项,请戳这里)。所以,船东并没有履行好自己的合同义务啊。
然而,作为船东,会这样轻易的认输吗?如果合同条款是这样的呢——
“Vessel's hold on delivery or latest arrival first load port to be clean swept/washed down by fresh water and dried up so as to receive Charterers' intended cargo...”是不是就换成租家傻眼了?
根据Rider条款里面的第一条,船东事实也确实做到了大舱适合装charterers' intended cargo——钢材。
根据Rider条款里面的第二条,已经清楚地写明了船东在第二个航次的装港以及随后航次装港的责任。只要船员尽力去清舱了,船东就不再负责验舱没过。
然而,如果Clause 21也有所不同呢?比如:
Clause 21: Vessel on her delivery to be 'grain clean' with clean-swept holds and tight, staunch, strong and in every way fitted for...
这种情况下,租家就可以主张船之所以在第二个航次装港验舱没过是因为交船时候大舱就没有达到装粮食标准,Rider里面的第二条就变得不相关不能再适用了。
总结一下,1. 船东千万不能忽略Clause 21里对交船时候大舱情况的要求;2.Rider第一条只是在交船时大舱压根儿不能做干净时的一个例外的情况(最迟在到达装港时);3. 如果船过了第一载的验舱仅仅是因为装港的验舱标准低,而没有过第二载标准高的验舱,那么租家就可以主张大舱在交船的时候不干净!所以Rider第二条并不足以保护船东。
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此外,如果船只做一个TCT,之后又direct continuation (简称DC,是指同一条船继续做给同样的租家,但是没有laycan/交还船,即船结束目前航次之后即刻又交船给租家。DC的合同条款也跟之前航次的一样,只是laycan没有了,hire、delivery/redelivery、航次描述这些会有变化,还多了一个中间扫舱条款Intermediate hold cleaning),情况会不一样吗?
比如,在TCT的合同中订了如下条款:
Clause 21: Vessel on her delivery to be ready to receive cargo with clean-swept holds and tight, staunch, strong and in every way fitted for...
(为了方便,称为Clause 1):
Vessel on arrival first loadport to present with all holds clean, dry, free from loose rust and previous cargoes, washed down and in every respect ready to receive chtrs' intention cargo of coal in bulk to the independent surveyors' satifaction. Failing such survey vessel shall be off-hire the time of rejection until she passes the same survey, any/all proven directly related extra vessel costs resulting from such failure shall be for owners' account...
在DC航次加了intermediate hold cleaning clause(称为Clause 2):
1) The Charterer shall provide and pay extra for intermediate hold cleaning between voyages provided such work can be undertaken by crew and is permitted by local regulations at the rate of US$xx per hold.
2) Such cleaning to be performed by vessel crew, provided the crew is able to safely undertake such work, while the vessel is en route to the next loading port always provided that weather permitting. the Owners shall not in any way be responsible if the vessels holds are not accepted or passed for the next cargo and all time lost or expenses incurred as a result of any failure shall be for Charterers’ account. Time for cleaning shall be for Charterers’ account.
船顺利通过了煤的验舱,之后perform DC的航次,租家安排了岸上工人帮助船员清舱(因为租家知道装粮食标准高,船员来不及在装完煤之后把大舱做到粮食的标准)。最终,船还是fail了DC航次装粮食的验舱,原因是surveyor发现船上有水泥渣(船在TCT交给租家之前的航次装过水泥,last 4 cargoes: cement - steel (交船前)- coal (交船、TCT航次)- grain (DC航次 ))。
租家主张自己已经安排人把大舱中的煤都清理掉了,船理应在清洁之后通过验舱,但是由于交船前就已经残留在船上的水泥,船才fail的验舱,所以是船东在交船的时候没有做好,按照合同应该适用clause 1即船东应该承担fail验舱的责任,要off-hire船东;船东则说在DC航次中clause 1已经不适用了,应该适用clause 2,即船东负责大舱的责任在过了第一载验舱之后就结束了。究竟谁有理呢?
如果按照前文的分析,把DC就简单当作期租的中间航次,似乎船东是有理的;然而,细致分析起来,小编就开始糊涂了……
小编注意到clause 1里面提到了“free from ... and previous cargoes',残留的水泥跟前文提到的black stains不同应该是算作previous cargoes吧?是否说明船东在交船/第一个航次就没有尽到合同义务呢?进而说明船东要承担fail验舱给租家造成的损失呢,即要被off-hire呢?
欢迎有兴趣的同学留言,给小编指点迷津。
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