The Neptune Declaration, signed in early 2021, calls for increased collaboration between charterers and ship operators based on the notion that managing crew changes is a shared responsibility.
In that respect, the Neptune Declaration signatories have developed a set of best practices to turn recommendations into concrete action. These best practices serve as a framework for charterers to help facilitate crew changes and work with ship owners to minimize the disruptions to operations – to the benefit of all stakeholders involved, not least the seafarers.
Considering that the charterers’ role and scope of control is different in a time charter or similar long-term engagement when compared to a spot charter situation, Neptune Declaration divides the best practices into two different sections reflecting these differences.
1.Best practices for time charters and other long term chartering arrangements
The following outline actions a charterer can take to prepare for dealing with crew changes in general, as well as specific actions to be taken before fixing a vessel and during the charter period.
General actions
• Establish a central point of contact with a clear leadership mandate, to ensure consistency and coordination across all chartering operations.
• Continuously monitor the crew change situation across all vessels chartered to ensure that plans for necessary crew changes are developed together with the shipowners based on operational and other needs.
• Work with authorities and other stakeholders in ports where the charterer has significant operations to develop and implement practicable high quality health protocols and other procedures for performing crew changes that can increase the likelihood of crew changes being permitted in the regular ports of call.
Before fixing a vessel
• Ask the shipowners to confirm to charterers that they are implementing the IMO high quality health protocols for the joining and off signing crew, including ensuring adequate PPE, PCR tests, social distancing and quarantining.
• Ask the shipowner for information on the length of service and the expiry of contracts of crews on all ships proposed for charter and a forecast on planned crew changes.
• Engage with the shipowner to develop and agree on a long-term plan for crew changes that ensure that the crew changes can take place while being aligned with the operational needs of the charterer.
During charter
• Keep abreast of developments of local regulations in potential crew change locations for instance through dialogue with the shipowner to identify potential issues as early as possible.
• Encourage the shipowner to make the applications necessary to perform crew changes at potential crew change ports well in advance, especially when the forward itinerary of the vessel is uncertain.
• Engage in dialogue with shipowners on how to adjust crew change plans, if needed, due to changing regulations or other unforeseen developments and make all reasonable efforts to allow crew changes to take place in these circumstances, including when the vessel has to make a reasonable deviation.
2. Best practices for spot charters
The following section outlines actions a charterer can take to prepare for dealing with the crew change issue in the context of spot charters general.
Before fixing a vessel
• Ask the shipowners to confirm to charterers that they are implementing the IMO high quality health protocols for the joining and off joining crew, including ensuring adequate PPE, PCR tests, social distancing and quarantining.
• Ask the shipowner for information on the length of service and the expiry of contracts of crews on all ships proposed for charter and determine whether a crew change is foreseen during the spot charter.
• If a crew change is foreseen during the spot charter, engage in a dialogue with the shipowner to determine whether the crew change can be carried out during the spot charter with reasonable monetary and time costs.
During charter
• Keep abreast of developments of local regulations in potential crew change locations for instance through dialogue with the shipowner to identify potential issues as early as possible.
• Engage in dialogue with shipowners on how to adjust crew change plans due to changing regulations or other unforeseen developments and make all reasonable efforts to allow crew changes to take place in these circumstances including when the vessel has to make a reasonable deviation.
