Five questions charterers should ask before berthing
Bunkering and stevedoring go wrong in predictable ways. Ask these before the vessel is alongside.
Who is supplying the bunkers, and has the quantity been agreed in writing against an agreed density? Disputes over bunker quantity almost always trace back to an assumption nobody wrote down.
Which gang is working the vessel, and how many hatches can they work at once? Discharge rate quoted per hour means little without knowing how many gangs it assumes.
What is the plan when the weather stops work? Rain clauses differ, and the time to read one is before it is invoked.
Who signs for damage, and when? Establishing this at the pre-arrival meeting is considerably cheaper than establishing it during a claim.
Finally: what happens if the berth slips? A vessel waiting for a berth is still burning money, and the answer determines who is carrying that cost.