Ballast Bonus is paid by which party?

• A. Charter pays
• B. Shipowner
• C. Charterer
• D. Agent

Answer: (A)

Ballast Bonus is an extra payment tied to ballast voyages—when a vessel travels empty to reposition for loading. In a charter arrangement, the party responsible for arranging cargo and paying for the voyage is the charterer. To compensate the shipowner for the revenue the vessel loses during an empty repositioning leg, the charterer may pay a ballast bonus. This incentive helps ensure the vessel accepts and completes the ballast leg under the charter terms. The shipowner is the recipient of the bonus, not the payer, and an agent typically isn’t involved in this payment. So, the party paying the ballast bonus is the charterer.