CP date

The CP date is the date the charter party is concluded, the date written at the head of the recap or the printed form. It fixes the contract date for limitation and for terms that run from the fixture, and it anchors warranties given ‘as at the date of this charter’ such as the vessel’s described speed and consumption. It is not the laycan, the delivery date, or the bill of lading date. In a dispute the CP date sets when the agreement was made, which can decide which standard form edition or market clause set the parties intended.