5.装卸货物条款(Loading/Discharging)
该条款(a)段规定了承租人应该负责货物的装卸的工作,并且所有的风险、责任、花费都要算在承租人的头上,这条对承租人是很不公平的。因为承租人对装卸货可能并不了解,而对于货物的积载对船舶的稳性影响更会是一无所知。所以第一句话可以改为将花费算在承租人的帐上,而船长要监督承租人的装卸工作,并且责任要出租人负责。该法可以参考NYPE93’的相关条款:“the Charterers shall perform all cargo handling, including but not limited to loading, stowing, trimming, lashing, securing, dunnaging, unlashing, discharging, and tallying, at their risk and expense, under the supervision of the Master and responsibility.”
该条款的(a)段中,对承租人比较危险还有对于垫舱物料的规定。金康94’中规定承租人负责弄走垫舱料,而且装卸时间或滞期时间照算,直到承租人弄掉垫舱料为止。而如果当时承租人找不到装卸工人,或是岸上规定不准弃置垫舱物料的话,承租人可能就要为此承担风险。所以,承租人可以在(a)段最后加上:“The Charterers shall have the option of remaining dunnage on board and paying ….. USD to the Owners.”使其以支付一笔金额给出租人,代替弄走垫舱物料的绝对责任。
而对于其后的(c)段,承租人也可以作类似的修改,使承租人在船有损坏的状态下还船时,可不必修理,而是支付一笔未修理费用(estimated unrepaired damage)给船东。
6.装卸时间条款(Laytime)
该条款是整个金康94’在实践中争议最多的条款,不仅是因为该条款对船东保护较多,还因为在实践中,该条款变化很多。
在保护船方利益的金康94’下,并没有中断装卸时间的免责条款。这会带来装卸时间的延误,只要不是出租人有错,或者是出租人为了自己的利益,装卸时间就要一直算下去。而承租人可以做的,就是加入一条广泛免责条款,比如Stemmor租约格式下的第5条款:“The lost at any time by reason of all or any of the following causes shall not be computed in the loading or discharge time or as demurrage viz :War , Rebellion , Tumults , Civil Commotions , Insurrections , Political Disturbances , Epidemics , Quarantine , Riots , Strikes , Lock-outs , Stoppage of Miners , Workmen , Lightermen , Tugboatmen , or other hands essential to the Working , Carriage , Delivery , Shipment or Discharge of the said cargo whether partial or general , or Accidents at the mines , at Receiver’s Works or wharf , Landslips , Floods , Frost on Rivers , Canals or on Railways , or any other causes beyond control of Charterers.”加入这类广泛免责条款的好处也是显而易见的:港口拥挤、承租人违约等情况下的时间损失一般都可转移给出租人,即停止计算装卸时间,而一条广泛免责条款还可以去明示可中断滞期时间。
针对装卸时间的起算,金康94’只给了很短的通知时间(Notice Time),如在中午12点递交通知,装卸时间在下午1点即开始计算。而在租约大多数都长于这时间的情况下,承租人大可以修改此条款,延长通知时间。比如,可以使用Stemmor租约格式的写法:“Time for loading to count from 8 a.m., on next working day after the Ship is reported and ready, and in free pratique and written notice tendered and accepted (whether in berth or not), and for discharging from 8 a.m., on next working day after the Ship is reported and in every respect ready, and in free pratique and written notice tendered and accepted (whether in berth or not). Steamer to be reported during official hours only.”这样可使承租人有充分时间作装卸准备。
金康94’装卸时间条款的最后部分规定了当检查之后发现船舶并未备妥,已经起算的装卸时间应当停止,直到船舶备妥为止。这对承租人是显失公平的,比如:出租人在船舶实际上并未备妥的情况下就递交NOR,而此时正逢港口拥挤,船舶只能在港口外的锚地待泊,而此时出租人却不用去备妥船舶,因为装卸时间已经起算,其只需要到港后清洁备妥即可。对承租人更危险的是,如果在锚地待泊的时间过长,有可能在锚地装卸时间即已用完而使其进入滞期。如果这样,到港后检查不合格,出租人也不必去迅速清洁备妥。因为,清洁备妥的时间只会中断装卸时间,而滞期时间却是连续不断地计算下去的,出租日在这段时间可以边收着滞期费,边慢慢清洁船舱。如果当时航运市场不景气的话,承租人可就惨了。所以这一条承租人也是一定要修改的,而改法可以参照Norgrain的有关条款:“If the vessel is prevented from entering the … port(s) the time spent waiting … shall count against laytime … If after entering the loading port, the vessel fails to pass inspections … and requires more the four hours SHINC to pass such inspections from the time of initial failure to pass, the time spent waiting outside … shall not count …; but if said vessel passes inspections within said four hours, any delay in commencing loading directly attributable to its failure to pass initial inspection shall not count as laytime or time on demurrage.”
7.滞期费条款(Demurrage)
这条款是保证出租人可以按时收取滞期费,当出租人没有按时收到滞期费的情况下有撤船的权利。而如果出租人撤船,则会造成承租人在买卖合同下的履约困难。所以,如果承租人有这方面的顾虑,在滞期费支付方面,可以改为:“In any case demurrage to be paid by Charterers to Owners within 1 week after presentation of statement of Facts and Time Sheet of each voyage…”使出租人只有在航次完结,有事实记录表与装卸时间表后才能向承租人索赔滞期费。
8.留置条款(Lien Clause)
该条款去掉了金康76’中的终止责任条款,而在1976年格式下,出租人有义务去为卸港滞期费留置货物,否则时候不能向承租人索赔。同时,金康94’下留置条款针对的不再是传统的运费、滞期费、亏舱费等,而且包括了“claims for damages and all other amounts due under this charter party including costs of recovering the same.”这样的规定会使收货人在由于装港产生不安全泊位或装卸工人疏忽导致的船舶损坏,不付清修理费用,出租人就可以一直留置货物。相反,1976年格式的金康租约则制定得较为公正,承租人可以将该留置条款用在金康94’上:“Owners shall have a lien on the cargo for freight, deadfreight, demurrage and damages for detention. Charterers shall remain responsible for dead-freight and demurrage(including damages for detention), incurred at port of loading, Charterers shall also remain responsible for freight and demurrage(damages for detention), incurred at port of discharging, but only to such extent as the Owners have been unable to obtain payment thereof by exercising the lien on the cargo.”
9.解除合同条款(Cancelling Clause)
该条款规定了出租人在规定的受载期限内未能提供船舶的,承租人有权解除合同。在该条款中,唯一值得注意的地方使承租人只有48小时行使询问条款中的选择权。这往往太短,如果中间隔一个周六,周日承租人不工作,解除合同的日期甚至会在承租人不知情的状态下延长。所以承租人应将该“反应时间”加长,比如改为“four working days”。
10.签发提单条款(Bills of Lading)
该条款对出租人的保障显示在:规定租约下的提单只能使用Congenbill,而且出租人对提单持有人的索赔可向承租人要求补偿。承租人可将此条款改为类似NYPE93’第30条款的说法:“The Master shall sign the bills of lading or waybills for cargo as presented … However, the Charterers may sign bills of lading or waybills on behalf of the Master, with the Owner’s prior written authority, ….”,是承租人可使用各种提单配合其在买卖合同下的规定。
11.其它条款
11条以后的条款都是一些标准条款,如互有责任碰撞条款(Both-to-Blame Collision Clause),共同海损与新杰逊条款(General Average and New Jason Clause),罢工条款(General Strike Clause),战争条款(War Risks ("Voywar 1993"))等,并不像前面那些条款一样明显的保护出租人,但如果承租人细心的话,仍可找出一些对船东有利的方面,如共同海损条款中说明姐妹船救助成功,承租人也要付救助报酬。承租人就可以做出相反的规定;又如代理人条款(Agency)中承租人修改为由承租人指定各港口的代理等。但由于这些条款在时间中很少使用,所以本文不再详述。
总之,合同不是法律,只要在不违反法律的前提下,会同双方可以自由订立合同条款。即使是打明招牌要保护出租人利益的金康94’租约,承租人也可以将其修改得面目全非,变得对自己有利。而在谈判过程中,承租人也不应该只目光短浅地盯着运费率不放,认为那才是合同的本质。当合同的履行出现问题时,一份没有修改过的保护出租人利益的金康94’租约,很可能让承租人付出甚至比原有运费还要多的代价,比如巨额的滞期费索赔。
在修改条款的时候,承租人可以遵循以下的原则:首要条款超越一般条款;手写条款超越印刷条款;附加条款超越格式条款。承租人可以利用这些规则修改条款,比如合同中本来有一条十分有利于出租人的条款,承租人就可以在最后加入相反的附加条款超越原有条款,而出租人可能只会注意到合同的印刷条款。
所以,希望承租人以金康94’作为合同范本时,化被动为主动,每一条款有要争取做到对自己有利,真正地将金康94’合同用好。
来源:From