The ship loaded soya beans in South America. During the loading it was found that a very high percentage of the cargo had purple spots on the beans. After a joint survey, it was determined that 7%-8% of the cargo had purple spots on its surface.
Letters of Indemnity
Accordingly, the Master claused the mate’s receipt, which the shipper protested about. The charterers and sub-charterers were also called upon to resolve the matter. Eventually, the mate’s receipts were issued clean in exchange of Letters of Indemnity issued by the charterers and subcharterers.
No claim made
At the discharge port, no claims were made in relation to the purple-spotted cargo. This was due to the receiver having been informed of the discolouration prior to loading. This demonstrates the importance of engaging in a dialogue with all relevant parties when discolouration is first discovered at the loading port rather than the discharging port.
What can we learn?
- Discolouration of beans can occur due to selfheating, or due to the growth of a fungus, or by dirt. If the soya beans are not damaged or discoloured internally, they are considered sound.
- The Club strongly recommends that members pay close attention to the apparent condition of the cargo prior to loading.
- The owner/manager should always consider obtaining assistance from an experienced surveyor, or cargo expert, or more conveniently call their Club for assistance whenever there are doubts about the condition of the cargo that is being loaded.
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