March 4, 2025
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Laytime calculations are at the heart of voyage chartering, determining the financial balance between shipowners and charterers. Miscalculations can lead to costly demurrage claims or lost opportunities for despatch money. Despite its importance, laytime remains one of the most contested and misunderstood elements in maritime contracts.
To bring clarity and efficiency to laytime calculations, we’ve curated expert insights on optimizing and streamlining the process.
Ambiguous charter party (CP) clauses often lead to delays, disagreements, and financial surprises. Ensuring consistency in laytime terms reduces misinterpretations.
Best Practices:
✔ Use precise terms like "weather working day of 24 consecutive hours" to avoid ambiguity.
✔ Ensure laytime terms in the Charter Party (CP) align with sales contracts.
✔ Include clear "whether in berth or not" (WIBON) and "whether in port or not" (WIPON) clauses to avoid delays due to congestion.
Relying on spreadsheets can introduce manual errors, slowing down the process. Investing in laytime calculation software enhances accuracy.
Best Practices:
✔ Use software that automatically pulls timestamps from Statements of Facts (SoF).
✔ Ensure calculations follow CP terms with built-in compliance checks.
✔ Standardize calculation templates to maintain uniformity across voyages.
Laytime disputes often boil down to proof. A well-documented Statement of Facts (SoF) is your best defense.
Best Practices:
✔ Maintain detailed timestamp records for vessel arrival, NOR submission, cargo operations, and stoppages.
✔ Ensure the SoF is signed by all parties (ship's agent, terminal, stevedores).
✔ Use digital logs for real-time documentation and transparency.
Weather clauses can make or break a laytime claim. Standardize how weather-related stoppages are recorded.
Best Practices:
✔ Use official port weather reports for disputes.
✔ Differentiate between "unless weather prevents" and "weather permitting"—they impact laytime differently.
✔ Clarify if stoppages apply to all vessels in port or only those affected.
A single misinterpretation of CP terms can lead to thousands in demurrage costs. Aligning shipowners, charterers, and agents is critical.
Best Practices:
✔ Use shared access platforms for real-time laytime monitoring.
✔ Train operations teams on common laytime pitfalls to avoid disputes.
By optimising contract terms, automating calculations, maintaining audit trails, accurately tracking weather delays, and improving stakeholder communication, companies can significantly reduce laytime-related costs and disputes.
📌 Pro Tip: Investing in modern laytime software not only streamlines calculations but also helps prevent errors before they happen.
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