ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the commercial and practical aspects of laytime calculations; a field of great challenge among chartering and shipbroking matters in a voyage charter. Laytime is defined as the period of time agreed between the shipowner and the charterer at the voyage charter, in which the charterer undertakes to load and discharge the vessel, without payment additional to the freight. In voyage chartering the time risk during the sea voyage rests solely with the owners. Sometimes, this principal rule is set aside by clauses in the charterparty. The vessel must reach at the agreed destination before she can be considered as an "arrived ship". The best way for the owners to protect themselves is to insert a special "waiting for berth" clause or to have the words "whether in berth/port or not" inserted in the laytime clause, so that to make clear that the laytime can count when the vessel is at the customary or indicated waiting place.
