A charterparty would usually contain a rider clause excluding the owner’s liability for deck carriage of cargo, such as :
“Any loss/damage/liability of whatsoever nature caused to the vessel as a result of carriage of cargo on deck to be fully borne by the charterers which would not have arisen had deck cargo not been loaded.”
In the case of Onego Shipping v Arcadia Shipping (2010), one of the cause of loss of cargo on deck was the vessel’s instability as a result of loading an extra tier of timber.
The owners sought to be indemnified for liability for the cargo loss from the charterers in accordance with such a rider clause in the charterparty transferring all deck cargo liability to the charterers, but the charterers argued the cause of the loss was the vessel’s fault and the rider clause transferring deck cargo liability onto the charterers did not apply.
It was held the rider clause was not sufficiently clear and certain to be extended to include the owners’ and or crew’s negligence and the rider clause did not transfer liability for the deck cargo loss to the charterers if this loss was caused by the vessel’s negligence or the vessel’s unseaworthiness. Reference was made to the test stated in the case of Canada SS (1952), which provided that exclusion clauses unless the wording is clear do not encompass a party’s negligence, and further the interpretation of the clause is construed against the party in which the exclusion clause was intended to benefit.
To ensure the owners receive a full and complete indemnity arising from such deck cargo clauses in charterparties, these clauses should be reviewed and amended to encompass the vessel’s negligence.
See attached file : ALCO20120013Deck Cargo Clauses in Charterparties.pdf
租约中的甲板货条款
租约中通常会有附加条款，免除船东对甲板货的责任，例如：
“因运输甲板货导致船舶任何性质的损失/损害/责任全部由船东承担，如果没有装载甲板货，上述损失不会发生。”
Onego Shipping v Arcadia Shipping (2010)一案中，甲板货损失的原因之一是装载过多的木材，导致船舶稳定性不良。
根据租约中的附加条款，船东可以从租家身上获得货损赔偿，将所有的甲板货责任转嫁到租家身上。但是租家认为，损失的原因是船舶本身的问题，不适用附加条款将甲板货责任转嫁到租家身上。
法院认为，附加条款不够清楚和确定是否包括船东和/或船员疏忽，并且如果损失由于船舶疏忽或不适航引起，附加条款不能转嫁甲板货损失责任给租家。法院援引 Canada SS (1952) 一案的标准：除非明确规定，否则免责条款不适用于一方存在疏忽的情况，并且条款的解释将不利于免责条款试图保护的一方。
因此，在租约甲板货条款下，为确保船东获得全面和完全的赔偿，应审查和修改这些条款使之包括船舶疏忽。
以上由 ANDREW LIU & CO.,LTD 编译，应以英文为准！
详细信息请参阅附件。
