Customary pilotage
Overview
BIMCO is confronted from time to time with inquiries as to whether pilotage in a certain area may be "customary". It seems that more and more time charter parties refer to such pilotage. BIMCO is not sure how and when the expression crept into a time charter party the first time. However, it is fairly certain that the implications of the salient provision are obscure, even to those who invented it. The point is that it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to establish whether or not pilotage in a certain area may be termed "customary". The first difficulty is that it is necessary to find an objective yardstick when trying to establish whether or not pilotage may be "customary". Various factors will have to be considered; vessel's size, the frequency of the particular size plying the particular area, the total number of ships plying the particular area, the time of year, etc., etc. For instance, it may be common for vessels of a particular size to employ a pilot, but what if the particular size is a minority in the particular area? Can one say then that pilotage in the area is "customary"? If the masters employed by the particular ship-owner as a rule employ pilots when trading in the particular area does that make it "customary"? Would time charterers have a point if they could show that the previous five ships in their time charter did not employ pilot when trading to the particul...
MEMBER SECTION
If you are a member, please login using the orange button at the top of the page to view the full article, or register. If you are unsure of your membership, or wish to become a member, please contact membership@bimco.org.
Feedback or a question about this information?
Posted:
02 June 2016
VPS Bunker Alerts
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
Related training
Charter Party Workshop Online
- Online, Online
- 27 May, 2024
The Charter Party Workshop (Masterclass) Online is a series of 10 online sessions and combines a range of lecturers on voyage and time chartering with sessions ...
Related publication
eBook explanatory notes for SUPPLYTIME 2017
This eBook includes a sample copy of the SUPPLYTIME 2017 contract and the related explanatory notes in the latest version.Want to stay up-to-date?
Register for updates about
{{Title}}
Receive emails when this topic is updated – you can choose how often.
Register NowELSEWHERE ON BIMCO
Chartering help & advice
This section contains a comprehensive source of information and guidance on chartering related matters. You will find invaluable information on many aspects of chartering distilled from our many years’ experience on advising members.
Learn about your cargo
For general guidance and information on cargo-related queries.
BIMCO Publications
Want to buy or download a BIMCO publication? Use the link to get access to the ballast water management guide, the ship master’s security manual and many other publications.
