13th July 2022
Simon Tatham examines misconceptions on salvage and the use of LOF Most mariners will spend their life at sea without ever being on a ship in need of salvage assistance. But when things go wrong, any mariner on a ship in trouble should be only too pleased to see a salvage tug coming over the…
26th May 2022
16 May 2022 by Simon Tatham Regular columnist Simon Tatham examines a recent maritime accident report to highlight the risks of not taking the offered LOF The International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) has been working on what it calls its Salvage Delay Project, an independent study into the increasing tendency for delays in the take up…
15th March 2022
Regular columnist Simon Tatham explains the process, benefits and pitfalls of invoking SCOPIC in salvage Salvage situations develop quickly, calling for rapid decision making by the parties involved. For the opportunist, occasional salvor and a shipowner faced with its first salvage dilemma, they with probably not have experience of Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) salvage let…
2nd February 2022
Passage planning is an important aspect of any commercial voyage by sea. There could be many hazards during the voyage through congested waterways, with awkward turns through outlying archipelagos, crossing traffic separation schemes and narrow and tidal waterways to navigate. Understandably, when a client contracts for the tow, they would rightly be aggrieved if, following a grounding, it transpires the tug owner and crew had…
3rd November 2021
Regular columnist Simon Tatham reviews the rising use of 2021 updates to BIMCO’s TOWCON and TOWHIRE standard contracts. It is now nine months since BIMCO published its updated towing contracts, the third edition since they were first introduced in the 1980s. This pair have since become the industry standard for deepwater towage, and with the…
23rd September 2021
A theme of this year’s London International Shipping Week was container ships, coinciding with the first visit to Felixstowe of one of the new class of ultra-large 24,000-TEU vessels. Even much smaller container ships pose a marine claims challenge when a voyage goes wrong. We are not infrequently reminded that Napoli, which was beached in English…
28th July 2021
Regular columnist Simon Tatham provides insight into the Admiralty Solicitors Group salvage agreements and arbitration proceedings There was consternation as to whether Lloyd’s would continue to operate the Lloyd’s Salvage Arbitration Branch (LSAB) and therefore support Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF). Lloyd’s has since confirmed its commitment to LSAB and LOF. There have also been concerns…
20th June 2021
It has been more than two months since salvors unblocked the Suez Canal by refloating 20,000-TEU container ship Ever Given and yet the vessel remains in Egypt awaiting compensation payments and its release. If discussions do not result in a compromise, it is the receivers of cargo on board Ever Given that will continue to bear the brunt of…
5th April 2021
ITS March 2021 Maritime Law Volume 2 “A ship due to exit a narrow channel may be under an obligation to give way” Regular columnist Simon Tatham tackles the legal conclusions from the English Supreme Court ruling for when vessels are crossing at the entrance to narrow channels Let us assume your tug is leaving…
9th February 2021
Regular columnist Simon Tatham casts a legal eye over what is to be expected within the 2021 updates of BIMCO’s TOWCON and TOWHIRE standard contracts Contractual workhorses of the towage world, TOWCON and TOWHIRE 2008 have just been updated with the 2021 editions and are to be published by BIMCO very shortly, after final review by their drafting committee. The finalised forms are eagerly awaited. That is not…
