Setting out a regime for ship-to-ship cargo transfers
Aimed at the dry cargo bulk trades, BIMCO’s new clause sets out a regime for ship-to-ship cargo transfers. It is a rider clause that can be incorporated in response to charterers’ request for ship-to-ship operations.
The effect of using the clause in a safe berth or dock charter party will be to extend the rights of the charterers to carry out cargo operations at a place other than the berth originally contemplated under the agreement an impact. The “place” agreed for the ship-to-ship transfer becomes a “berth” for the purposes of laytime and time counting. As ship-to-ship operations involve additional risks, the clause contains an indemnity from charterers for any liabilities, losses or costs due to the operations.
A Special Circular providing an explanatory note and a copy of the Clause can be downloaded by clicking here. The full text of the clause can be downloaded from the Clauses section of BIMCO’s website.
Source: BIMCO
Hello, Thanks for sharing BIMCO’s STS clause. In Ship to Ship transfer Operations we commence the laytime when vessel reaches to STS location but many of the Charterers insist to commence laytime 6 hours after that. We tried to convince them stating The “place” agreed for the ship-to-ship transfer becomes a “berth” for the purposes of laytime and time counting. But they refused to agreed for it. There response in like this is applicable only for the BIMCO ship to ship transfer clause which was not agreed in our CP.
Is there some more details which you can share with us on this issue.