Ship Port Agency Or Port Agent

Ship Port Agency or Port Agent:

A Ship Port Agency or Port agent is a designated person or Agency responsible for every need of the Ship and cargo, from Berthing of the vessel to loading/unloading of cargo on behalf of Ship Owner or Charterer.

The Agent duty is to bring the ship to the berth,do loading / discharging and send ship back to the destination port in safe and economic manner in which he has to provide assistance like arranging for pilot ,towage, custom clearance etc.

The agent provides local husbandry service such as

• Ships store and spare parts
• Crew change
• Crew medical
• Service Technicians

The daily operating cost of ship is very high as well as congestion in the berth remains high, keeping this in mind agent has to act accordingly and get the ship berth as soon as the vessel arrives the port limit.

He has to keep everything ready so that the ship can start loading/discharging on time

He must have sound reputation and have good contacts with the local & concern authorities as agent represent his principals.

Understanding his responsibilities shipping agent can perform task of cargo broker or booking agent

Relation between Agent and Owner

The agreement between agent and owner can be verbal or tacit

Tacit agreement

Agent can take any action which is in favour of owner and ship

The agent should not wait for instructions from owners as it may lead to delay and hence loss of money which  directly harms  interest of owner.

Owner remains binds to whatever decision agent takes if they enter into tacit agreement.

The agent must at all times protect the interest of owners and the charterers to the best of his abilities

The agent must always when signing , sign on document as agents only or as agent for owner ,any act which hamper owner’s interest is consider as agents negligence & he is personal responsible for his act and he has to face all the consequence himself.

OWNER’S PROTECTIVE AGENT(OPA)

Owner appoints his sure Agent to shield his interests and conjointly to handle HUSBANDRY services.
He is agent WHO handles matter associated with
• PSC
• PORT
• PORT-HEALTH
• TAXATION
• CUSTOMS
• IMMIGRATIONS

In addition to on top of he conjointly handles

1. Delivery of CTM’S (cash to master)
2. Clearance & delivery of spare/crew mails
3. provide of bunkers
4. provide of Lube-oil
5. provide of Fresh Water
6. Provision stores

He is also responsible for
1. Crew change
2. Ticketing
3. Hotel booking
Removal / Disposable of
1. Oil residues
2. Oil waste
3. Oil garbage
4. Food Waste etc

Technical services:
1. A. Repair/Marine equipment’s
B. Underwater inspections
C. Dry dock
2. Co-ordination/Facilitating inspection of authorize inspectors
3. Vessel on / off hire survey
4. Appointment of Cargo surveyors
5. A. Attending to custom         B. Taxation summons        C. Cargo loss claims

The Agent and also the Time Charterer
Usually the charterer appoints the agent & owner pays the agency fee

It is Usually mentioned in the charter party under Agency clause
“Agency Clause’’-It is WHO appoints the agent
Owner’s agent or Charter agent
The time charterer becomes a supposed disponent owner.

He becomes a form  of disponent owner, WHO now could be the operator of the ship and WHO, during this capability appoints the agent.

The agent will now have to act in the charterer’s interest and satisfy all his requirements including those of the master.

Charterers’ agents and owners’ protecting agents

Under time charter parties, the charterer appoints the port agent and it’s decision of the owner to conjointly appoint his own protecting agent to represent his interests.

Few Ship owner opt for not to bear the expense and therefore the selected agent is therefore thought of as being the ship’s agent during a general sense, and is thus consider as the owner’s agent.

It is advise to appoint protecting agent, as (OPA) agent involves once any incident happens or in cases of disputes and so ship owner is aware of actual incident happened.

A Port Agency or Port agent

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