Easy understanding of Laytime calculation in a Voyage Charter Party
Capt.Dheeraj Kumar,B.Sc,PGPM
Director at Madhab Marine & Logistics Private Limited
Easy understanding of Laytime calculation in a Voyage Charter Party:
The statement of Fact is an important document for Laytime calculation. SOF should be agreed by all parties involved (master, stevedore, agent, port, shipper, receiver etc.), and will normally be presented by the agent to the master for his signature and return; the master should retain a copy. It’s master look out to verify the timing with port log book before signing. There always chances that the charterer’s agent may have obtained inaccurate times from his terminal supervisor, or may, for example, have recorded a period of rain in the vicinity of his office or surrounding area that did not affect the ship for the same period.
The SOF/Time Sheet is an extract from the vessel’s port operations log provided by the charterer’s agent and contains times of all relevant events, including:
? The arrival of the ship;
? Notice of Readiness tendering time ;
? Commencement of lay time;
? Commencement of cargo operations & Termination of cargo operation
? Periods of suspension of laytime & Termination of laytime.
Vessel’s agent cheeks all details in SOF and preparing the Laytime Statement, from which any amount of demurrage or despatch money payable will be calculated.
Laytime calculation is required for determining whether on completion of loading or discharge operations despatch is payable to the charterers or demurrage is due to the owners.Vessel’s master should keep a track of Laytime, commencement of laytime, and running, interrupted or expired of laytime. Laytime calculation is recorded on laytime statement. The vessel’s port agent is generally responsible for calculating the total sum due and rendering accounts.
Below stages are required in a laytime calculation:
1. Understanding of relevant clauses in the charter party.
2. Obtain SOF from vessel’s agent.
3. Determine the duration of laytime allowed.
4. Ascertain time of commencement of laytime.
5. Allow for interruptions to laytime as per the charter party.
6. Ascertain time of expiry of laytime.
7. Calculate despatch or demurrage payable.
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Operations Manager at PSK-Shipping
11 个月It's a good reference but there is much more in to it. like calculation of times cranes going out of order , or the discharging pumps malfunction , or how to decide a shore crane is to be brought in, or stoppages of gangs and many other cases.
Latin America Logistics Manager at Nitron Group LLC
2 年Excellent information, thank you
Third Engineer[DPM,HVM] AHTS, MPSV, OSV, PSV, HEAVY LIFT CRANE VESSEL●
4 年This is really helpful Capt.Dheeraj Kumar,B.Sc,PGPM I will send you a mail for further clarifications on SOF
Supply Chain Expert
4 年Hi Captain. How lay time is calculated for a chartered vessel whose cargo is being shared by many receivers? I mean, proportionality looks unfair as a certain receiver might have efficiently discharged its responsibilities in a much better manner than others.
Vice President Commercial at KC Maritime
7 年Dheeraj a very well documented article. Most CP's will contain clauses about Weather Working Day. It is extremely important that vessels staff ensure that all stoppages on account of weather are accurately reflected in the SOF. Further after tendering a valid NOR, if the vessel is at anchor and waiting to load cargo, Master must accurately record rain timings or other weather events which will affect laytime calculations, and make sure same are reflected in the SOF. Master is always free to put his remarks in a SOF, if he is not in agreement with the entries made by the agent.