Holds Cleaning: Common Issues with C/P Clauses

Very often, charter parties will contain rider clauses which will request the ship’s holds to be delivered up to a particular standard and/or that it will be charterers responsibility to ensure that the holds are cleaned at charterers’ risk & cost after having carried a particular cargo.

If a ship is to be delivered with holds clean to a high standard, e.g. grain standard or «hospital clean«, but the holds do not comply with this standard of cleanliness, it is not relevant whether the failed holds are still in a suitable condition for the particular cargo to be loaded; charterers will still be entitled to reject the holds and insist that these are cleaned to the agreed standard before charterers accept delivery of the vessel.

However, if charterers do not reject the holds on delivery or reserve their rights, charterers will be deemed to have waived their rights to claim damages when holds are failed on another shipment under the charter party.

Source: The West of England Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association (Luxembourg)

VOCABULARY:

• contain rider clauses — содержать дополнительные оговорки
• request — требовать, запрашивать
• at charterers’ cost & risk — за счет и на риск фрахтователя
• carry a particular cargo — перевозить определённый груз
• hospital clean — самые строгие требования к чистоте (все остатки груза, отслоившаяся окалина, краска должны быть убраны, трюмы замыты, высушены и  провентилированы)
• comply with the standard of cleanliness — соответствовать стандарту чистоты
• it is not relevant — не имеет значения
• whether the failed holds are still in a suitable condition — пригодны ли не принятые трюмы к использованию
• charterer — фрахтователь
• be entitled to reject the holds — иметь право отклонить трюмы
• insist — настаивать
• accept delivery of the vessel — принять судно
• reserve the rights — оставлять за собой право
• be deemed — считаться
• waive the rights to claim damages — отказаться от права требовать возмещения убытков
• shipment — груз, товар
• under the charter party — по условиям чартер-партии

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