Arbitration- disputed NOR at ice edge and weather delays Oct 1, 2025 6 min read Summary prepared by Prokopios Krikris, FCIArb, Arbitrator The key disputed issues in this arbitration were the validity of the NOR at an ice port area, and the weather-related delays during discharging at St Petersburg, resulting in the Owners claiming unpaid demurrage of USD 136,250.00. Charterers denied liability.   The vessel was fixed under a Baltimore Berth Grain Form for a voyage from ports in the US Gulf to St Petersburg, Russia. The cargo was to be discharged “free of risk and expense to the vessel (free out discharge) at the average rate of 1,500 tons per weather working days of 24 consecutive hours, Sundays and holidays excepted, even if used (WWDSHEX EIU);”. The vessel loaded a cargo of exactly 30,010 metric tons of yellow corn and no disputes arose at the loading port.   For the discharge port, the ship arrived and tendered NOR near fairway buoy No. 10, as recommended by the icebreaker, a location approximately 17 miles west of the port's inbound pilot station. Some ten other vessels were also anchored and waiting at this anchorage. Contemporaneous ship-to-shore communications following the vessel's arrival at the ice edge attested to some concern over where and when NOR could legally be tendered.   The panel of arbitrators was constituted in accordance with the arbitration clause. Three evidentiary hearings were held to hear the testimony of three witnesses, and substantial documentary evidence was introduced into the record by both sides. Post-hearing and Reply Briefs were exchanged.   Owner's claim for demurrage at St. Petersburg was premised on its contentions that 1) the vessel properly tendered her NOR to trigger the running of laytime; 2) the primary cause of the delays was attributable to shortages of railway wagons, rather than the “bad weather” alleged by the Charterer. The owner also rejected the Charterer's assertion that there were weather del