Time Charter

A time charter hires a fully manned and equipped ship for a defined period at hire payable per day, with the owner keeping crew, navigation, and the running costs of the ship, and the charterer directing employment and paying for bunkers, port charges, and cargo handling. The charterer cannot displace the master’s authority over navigation and safety. Disputes cluster around off-hire, speed-and-consumption warranties, the legitimacy of the last voyage, and the allocation of cargo claims under the Inter-Club Agreement.