Disponent Owners & Time Charters


Whether or not you ever engage in a time charter with any ship owner, chances are, you will come into contact with a “time-charter” and/or the “disponent” owner of a particular vessel. The disponent owner may say more about the quality of the charter you are about to embark upon than the vessel itself. Here’s why:

The disponent owner of a vessel is the party which controls the commercial operation of the ship, often responsible for deciding the ports of call and the cargoes to be carried. A disponent owner can take the form of a Time Charter, which means they have hired the ship for a specific time period. The time charterer may also hire the vessel to another party for a specific voyage charter, or they may lease out a portion of the vessel capacity to another party. The latter arrangement is common in the parcel and chemical trades. The Time Charter Party is a document defining the terms and conditions of a contract between a charterer and a shipowner (or disponent owner) for the hire of a ship for a period of time, usually in excess of one particular voyage.

As a voyage charterer, you may find there is no difference between the relationship you have with a disponent owner and the owner of the vessel. Conversely, non-performance issues with the vessel may become significantly more complicated. Time charterers, like ships, come in varying degrees of quality and reputation. Understanding who you are really dealing with for any cargo movement is a critical aspect of ensuring a smooth and profitable trade and voyage.

In some instances, depending on the size of your organization, your firm may be the time charterer of a vessel; and lacking a cargo of your own, you’ll lease a portion of the ship out to others. In the parcel trades, and whether or not a disponent owner is involved, you may be only leasing a certain portion of the cargo carrying capacity of the vessel. As such, your rights and ability to control timing and logistics of your cargo may become abridged. As one of possibly ten or more customers utilizing a parcel tank at one time, understanding your contractual rights in advance is critical. Soundtanker has the experience and contacts to provide guidance in this regard.