Clear Channels Only: Why Email Access Isn't Optional in Modern Shipping

 📬 "Clear Channels Only": Why Email Access Isn't Optional in Modern Shipping

❓ Ask Yourself:

• Does your vessel have uninterrupted email connectivity with shore offices?
• Are you aware of the implications of failing to whitelist your charterer’s domain?
• Could missing an email lead to commercial or operational delays?

Clause Breakdown: Understanding the Communication Expectations at Sea

Modern shipping contracts, especially time charters or voyage charters, increasingly include explicit clauses about ship-to-shore communications. One such clause reads:

“Please note that we expect that you communicate through e-mail with us. If necessary, please ensure that [charterers] are placed on the white list to enable e-mail communication from our side. If you don't have a shipboard e-mail system (like, for example, the 'GTMail' system), please use the respective C-mail service of one of the various Inmarsat providers to send messages from your Inmarsat C terminal to our e-mail address.”

 

🔍 What This Means:

• Email is mandatory for reporting and operational updates.
• Charterers expect uninterrupted two-way communication from the vessel, ideally via commercial-grade shipboard email systems (like GTMail, AmosConnect, etc.).
• If these are not available, the fallback should be the C-mail service via Inmarsat terminals (like Mini-C).

 

📌 Implications & Risks:

• Missed Reports: Daily noon reports, performance updates, and weather deviation reports may go unread or unsent.
• Performance Claims: Charterers may raise claims for underperformance if noon reports or log extracts are delayed or missing.
• Off-Hire Disputes: Lack of timely communication could be used to trigger off-hire claims, especially in sensitive charter agreements.

 

💡 Real-World Example:

In one arbitration case, failure to provide consistent weather routing data and daily reports led to a vessel being deemed off-hire for 1.5 days — simply because the master’s email system was outdated and filtered out the charterer’s domain as spam.

 

⚠️ Common Pitfalls:

• Not adding charterer’s domain to the email “white list” (leading to blocked emails).
• Relying solely on free or outdated communication tools without fail-safe backups.
• Not training the onboard team in the use of fallback systems like Inmarsat C-mail.

 

🧭 What Should Operators & Owners Do?

For Owners / Operators:

• ✅ Ensure shipboard email systems are reliable and regularly updated.
• ✅ White-list charterer and critical vendor email domains.
• ✅ Educate the ship’s staff on how to use alternative communication systems like C-mail or Inmarsat Mini-C.
• ✅ Conduct monthly comms tests and logging (especially for long voyages).

For Charterers:

• ✅ Provide a list of approved domains to be whitelisted.
• ✅ Inform agents and masters of expectations regarding report formats and frequency.
• ✅ Consider communication audits when fixing long-term charters.

 

📢 Conclusion: Your Email is Your Lifeline

In today’s connected shipping world, missing a message can mean missing a milestone—or worse, breaching a contract. Prioritize your communication tools. Keep them compliant, fail-safe, and crew-friendly.

 

📣 Like this insight? Drop your questions or experiences in the comments below.
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💬 Share this with your crew, ops team, or ship manager today!

 

⚖️ Disclaimer:

This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or operational advice. Readers are advised to refer to their specific charter party terms and consult experts as required.