3.1 South Africa experienced a shortage of raw sugar resulting from various challenges that made it difficult for farmers to efficiently grow sugar cane - NSC Maritime Economics - Question 3 - 2024 - Paper 1

Given that there are 24 shipments and 4 bulk carriers, we divide the total shipments by the number of carriers.

Loaded voyages per carrier = ( \frac{24}{4} = 6 ) voyages per ship.

The cargo of sugar will be covered by 'cargo insurance'. This type of insurance protects the goods being transported against various risks that may occur during transit.

The MV Petra is classified as a 'geared' bulk carrier, meaning it is equipped with cranes for loading and unloading cargo. Furthermore, it is a 'handysize' bulk carrier due to its size, which allows it to access smaller ports.

The MV Petra was built in 2007. As of 2023, she is 16 years old.

Generally, freight rates for newer ships are higher due to better technology, improved fuel efficiency, and enhanced safety features. Therefore, the freight rates of a newer ship with the same dimensions would be 'more' than that of MV Petra.

Yes, MV Petra is considered a 'flag of convenience' ship as it is owned in Japan but registered in Liberia. This registration helps reduce costs, including taxes and crew wages, making it attractive for shipowners.

Four countries with a significant ship registration are Panama, Liberia, Marshall Islands, and Singapore.

1. Increased Tax Revenue: More ships imply higher registration fees and taxes, benefiting the government's finances.
2. Employment Opportunities: A larger fleet creates more jobs in shipping, management, and support services.
3. Enhanced Trade Capabilities: An expanded maritime industry facilitates increased trade, enabling better access to global markets.

The holds must be swept and dried to prevent contamination of the cargo and to ensure no residual material could further damage new cargo being loaded.

Voyage instructions are a set of guidelines provided to the vessel’s master outlining the specifics of the upcoming voyage, including waypoints, ports of call, and any particular requirements for the journey.

The last ten ports of call must be provided according to the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code), which aims to enhance security for ships and port facilities.

The agent had to book a berth for the MV Petra, as well as ensure arrangements for stores and various surveyors to meet the ship upon arrival.

The agent would need to contact the immigration department or maritime authority to process the sign-off for the seafarer engineer Barnes.

Loading time, excluding the break, is calculated as follows: Assume the total loading time is 90 hours; thus including a 6-hour break leads to a total loading time of 96 hours.

The loading of sugar completed at 12:00 on 5 October since cargo work began on 1 October at 09:00 and took 90 hours, plus the outwards clearance.

If the loading ended at 12:00 on 5 October and additional clearance took four hours, her Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) from Port of Santos would be 16:00 on 5 October.

(a) The proper name for these 90 hours is 'laytime' which refers to the period during which the vessel is expected to be loaded or unloaded.

(b) The loading period will be stipulated in the 'charterparty', which is a contractual agreement between the owner of the vessel and the charterer.

(c) MV Petra took the agreed time to load, which was 90 hours.

(d) Since she took the agreed time, no demurrage or dispatch would be payable.

Yes, he did.

A Lloyd's Open Form agreement is commonly employed in salvage operations as it allows for fair compensation based on the success of the salvage, which was necessary given the circumstances of the incident.

The other organisation that declared MV Petra seaworthy is the relevant maritime authority or classification society.

Yes, the owners could declare general average as the incident resulted in a loss affecting both the cargo and the vessel, leading to shared responsibility.

A place where ships undergo hull repairs, out of water, is referred to as a dry dock.