In a Voyage Charter, which responsibilities fall to the charterer?

• A. Freight/cargo cost, stevedore damage
• B. Maintenance, insurance
• C. Pay crew wages
• D. Deliver a seaworthy vessel

Answer: (A)

In a voyage charter, the charterer controls the cargo and takes on the costs directly tied to moving that cargo. The shipowner remains responsible for the vessel itself—its maintenance, hull and machinery insurance, crewing, and delivering a seaworthy ship. Therefore, the charterer’s duties center on paying the freight for transporting the cargo and handling the cargo at ports, which includes loading and unloading and the stevedore charges that go with it. Any damage that arises during stevedoring is tied to those cargo-handling operations and falls under the charterer’s responsibility. That’s why freight and cargo-related costs, including stevedore damage, belong to the charterer. The other items—maintenance and insurance, paying crew wages, and ensuring seaworthiness—are obligations of the shipowner, not the charterer.