Voyage Charters
Page 1011
Chapter 49
Cleaning
18. CLEANING. The Owner shall clean the tanks, pipes and pumps of the Vessel to the satisfaction of the Charterer’s Inspector. The Vessel shall not be responsible for any admixture if more than one quality of oil is shipped, nor for leakage, contamination or deterioration in quality of the cargo unless the admixture, leakage, contamination or deterioration results from (a) unseaworthiness existing at the time of loading or at the inception of the voyage which was discoverable by the exercise of due diligence, or (b) error or fault of the servants of the Owner in the loading, care or discharge of the cargo. |
Cleaning to charterer's inspector's satisfaction
49.1 The practice in the tanker trade with regard to cleaning of cargo holds should be borne in mind when considering the provisions of clause 18. Most major receivers of petroleum cargoes, and certainly all of the major oil companies, have a detailed code governing the cleaning of holds prior to carriage of particular grades of cargo. These codes usually demand crude oil washing (“COW”), and may contain prohibitions on the carriage of high grade fuels, such as aviation jet fuel, immediately after the carriage of heavier crudes or products. The masters of vessels commonly employed in the tanker trade are familiar with the requirements of the major oil companies, and special cleaning clauses are often added to the charterparty.