Which party is responsible for paying for weather routing in a Time Charter?

• A. The charterer
• B. The shipowner
• C. The cargo owner
• D. The insurer

Answer: (A)

Weather routing is a voyage planning service used to pick the best route considering weather, seas, and efficiency. In a time charter, the charterer controls the voyage and bears the voyage-related costs needed to carry out the charter, including routing decisions. Since weather routing is part of planning and executing the voyage, the charge for it falls on the charterer. The shipowner covers the vessel’s basic operating costs (crewing, maintenance, hull/PI insurance), while the cargo owner is responsible for cargo-related charges, not voyage planning costs.