Safe Port Clause & Cargo Intake Planning: Why They Go Hand-in-Hand

 ⚓ Safe Port Clause & Cargo Intake Planning: Why They Go Hand-in-Hand

❓ Three Yes/No Questions to Spark Curiosity:

• Can an unsafe port cost you more than demurrage?
• Are you aligning your stowage plans with the realities of port safety and restrictions?
• Do you consider tidal, draft, and berth limitations when accepting a charterer’s port nomination?

 

🔍 Clause Breakdown: “One Safe Port” & Its Operational Impact

📜 Charter Party Sample Wording

“The vessel shall proceed to one (1) safe port, safe berth...”

This clause places the burden on charterers to select a port where the ship can safely approach, stay, load/discharge, and depart—without the need for abnormal precautions.

A port must be:

• Physically safe (no grounding risk, proper tug availability)
• Politically stable (free from conflict, sanctions)
• Operationally viable (no hidden hazards, sufficient depth, pilotage support)

 

⚠️ Pitfalls & Practical Example

One of the most referenced cases is The Eastern City [1958] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 127, where the charterer was held liable after the vessel grounded due to silting and tidal limitations—conditions known to the charterer but not disclosed.

🧠 BIMCO’s Guidance:

They advise operators to evaluate dynamic risks, especially post-COVID and with climate-affected port geographies. “Safe” is not static—it’s conditional and temporal.

 

📦 The Link to Stowage & Cargo Intake

Poor port conditions may directly impact:

• Allowable sailing draft
• TPC correction due to tidal windows
• Hold filling percentages and trimming requirements
• Risk of hogging/sagging due to partial discharges at draft-restricted terminals

 

📊 Sample Stowage Plan Format

Here’s how a technically compliant cargo intake report may look when planning under safe port conditions:

 

🛳️ Stowage Plan – Example Format

Displacement @ 12.20 m:                                                     68,200 mt (summer draft)
Lightship:                                                                          10,400 mt
Deadweight:                                                         57,800 mt
Density correction (1.021):                               1,185 mt (actual draft 12.00 m)
High sulphur fuel oil:                                                 450 mt
Low sulphur fuel oil:                                              200 mt
Marine diesel oil:                                                         75 mt
Low sulphur marine gas oil:                 60 mt
Lube oil:                                                                    40 mt
Constants:                                                                   600 mt
Fresh water:                                                                  220 mt
Unpumpable ballast:                                    120 mt
Other Ballast (trimming / BM / SF):      3,100 mt
Expected loss due to Hogg/Sagg:      180 mt
Max cargo intake:                                                  51,770 mt

TPC = 67.5
Sailing draft loading port = 12.20 m, density = 1.020
Arrival draft disport = 11.85 m, density = 1.015

 

🔩 Hold-wise Cargo Distribution:

• H1 = 5,720 mt (11.0%)
• H2 = 5,910 mt (11.4%)
• H3 = 5,700 mt (11.0%)
• H4 = 5,780 mt (11.2%)
• H5 = 5,600 mt (10.8%)
• H6 = 5,680 mt (11.0%)
• H7 = 5,420 mt (10.5%)
• H8 = 6,120 mt (11.8%)
• H9 = 5,840 mt (11.3%)

TOTAL = 51,770 mt

 

✅ Arrival/Departure Drafts per Port (FWD / AFT)

• Port A (Load): Dep 12.20m / 12.22m
• Port B (Discharge 1): Arr 11.95m / 11.98m, Dep 10.80m / 10.82m
• Port C (Final Discharge): Arr 10.00m / 10.05m

 

🧭 Actionable Takeaways for Ship Operators & Charterers

• Always confirm draft restrictions & tidal windows BEFORE accepting port nomination
• Use your Loadicator to simulate HOG/SAG scenarios when trimming is required
• Cross-verify actual arrival drafts with the charterer’s safe port clause implications
• If in doubt, reject unsafe nominations in writing—charterers are responsible
• Maintain clear documentation of your port planning and risk mitigation

 

📣 Conclusion: Let Compliance Guide Your Capacity

Maximizing cargo intake starts with minimizing risk. Always tie your stowage plan to the real-world limitations of nominated ports—and hold your charterers accountable to the Safe Port clause.

✅ Like this post?
💬 Share your views in the comments below
📩 Subscribe to ShipOpsInsight for legal tips, BIMCO clause breakdowns, and voyage optimization insights

 

⚠️ Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal or commercial advice. Shipping professionals should consult chartering managers, legal teams, or P&I clubs before taking any contractual actions.