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Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The port agency specialism of the maritime series, following the coverage of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers' Port Agency syllabus. Ten modules take the practitioner into the work of the ship's agent in port — the ships and cargoes, registration and surveys, port agency operations, ship documentation and clearance, the charterparties, port working documents and demurrage, cargo documentation and bills of lading, the legal position of the agent, and the disbursement accounts. Led by the Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum, with the technical modules taught by Samuel Plimsoll and the legal modules by Lord Mansfield.
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
The agent attends every kind of ship — so can you tell a bulker from a combination carrier and read her particulars? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers the ship types: the differences among dry bulk ships, general-purpose ships, liners, and tankers (including ore/oil and ore/bulk/oil carriers), with sketches; the tanker categories and bulk-carrier size ranges; the design of decks, holds, hatches, and cargo gear and ballast systems; the measurement terminology (NT, GT, DWAT, DWCC, displacement, bale and grain cubic, TEU, lane metres); and the general arrangement, capacity, and stowage plans.
Outcome
You can identify a calling ship's type and read the particulars the agent will need. (Ships)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
A ship's arrival and her needs follow from what she carries and where she has been — so do you know the main cargoes, their hazards, and the geography? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers cargoes and routes: the characteristics of the main five commodities (coal, ore, grain, fertilisers, oil) and their sub-divisions; the hazards of certain commodities; and the main origins and trade routes of important cargoes with seasonal variations, and a working knowledge of maritime geography, distances, and voyage times.
Outcome
You can reason about the ship required for a cargo and route and the voyage time and hazards involved. (Cargoes and trade routes)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
Every ship the agent attends lives by her flag, her class, and her certificates — so do you know the regime and the surveys? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers the regime: registration and the differences among national flag, offshore registries, and flags of convenience; classification, the societies and IACS, register books, and class surveys; port state control and the ISM Code and its audit; the role and impact of the ITF and local trade unions; and the on/off-hire, pre-loading, bunker, and draft surveys.
Outcome
You can identify the flag, class, port-state-control, and survey matters the agent must address for a calling ship. (Registration, classification, and surveys)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
When a ship calls, the agent arranges everything she needs — so do you know the full extent of the work, and how an agency wins its business? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers operations: marketing the agency and getting and keeping principals; the agent's coordination of port services (port and terminal operators, pilotage, towage, stevedores, dockers, riggers); the services to the master and crew (bunkers, stores, victualling, equipment servicing, medical and dental care); the master's cash requirements and precautions; and the role of port community computer systems.
Outcome
You can set out the services the agent must arrange for a ship's call and the precautions the work demands. (Port agency operations)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
A ship cannot lawfully work a port until the agent has cleared her and checked her certificates — so do you know the clearance and the documents? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers ship documentation: clearing the ship with customs, port health, and immigration; the problems of smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration and the agent's own exposure; the agent's role in signing crew on and off and repatriation; the reasons for and procedure of noting protest; and the reason, validity, and importance of the ship's certificates (Register, loadline, safety construction/equipment/radio, IOPP, de-ratisation) and who issues them.
Outcome
You can set out the clearance steps, the certificates to check, and the crew and protest matters the agent must handle. (Ship documentation)
Sub-units
Led by Lord Mansfield Simulacrum
The question
Whether a ship works under a voyage or a time charter changes the agent's position entirely — so which clauses must the agent command? Taught by Lord Mansfield, this module covers the charterparties: the differences between time and voyage charters and their effect on the agent; the suitability of forms to trades; the clauses that have a direct impact on the port agent; the interpretation aids (Voylayrules 1993, FONASBA Time Charter Interpretation Code 2000); the responsibilities of owners and charterers; and the extended contracts (consecutive voyages, contracts of affreightment).
Outcome
You can identify whether a charter is voyage or time, how that affects the agent, and which clauses bear on the agent's work. (Charter parties)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
When does the ship's allowed time start to run, and can you calculate the demurrage that hangs on it? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers the port working documents: the concept of the "arrived ship" and the vital importance of tendering the notice of readiness and the precautions to minimise disputes; and how statements of facts and timesheets are compiled — with the student able to prepare a timesheet and calculate the demurrage or despatch money.
Outcome
You can prepare a timesheet from the facts of a port call and compute the demurrage or despatch due. (Port working documentation)
Sub-units
Led by Lord Mansfield Simulacrum
The question
At the loading port the agent issues the bills of lading — so do you understand their perils, above all delivery without presentation and the dirty-bill/letter-of-indemnity trap? Taught by Lord Mansfield, this module covers cargo documentation: the importance of bills of lading in port agency and the problems of delivery without presentation; the functions of a bill, the effect of COGSA 1992, and the Hague/Hague-Visby/Hamburg and UNCTAD/ICC rules; the differences among port-to-port, through, and combined-transport bills and sea waybills; the agent's role in issuing bills and avoiding fraud, clean and dirty bills, and letters of indemnity; and the other cargo documents and paperless trading.
Outcome
You can identify the bill type and clauses, the delivery and clean/dirty-bill risks, and the agent's exposure at the loading port. (Cargo documentation)
Sub-units
Led by Lord Mansfield Simulacrum
The question
The agent acts for a principal under the law of agency — so what are the limits of his authority, and where does conflict of interest lie? Taught by Lord Mansfield, this module covers the agent's legal position: the principles governing the agent-principal relationship and the agent's position for the time charterer; charterer's-agent nomination and the avoidance of conflict of interest; the extent of authority and the consequences of breach, the agent's liability and fiduciary duty, and errors and omissions insurance; the basics of general average and the agent's duties if declared; and the agent's role with the owner's P&I Association in cargo claims and arrest in rem.
Outcome
You can identify the agent's authority and exposure, any conflict of interest, and the agent's duties in general average or on arrest. (Legal aspects of port agency)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
The agent spends the owner's money and must account for every penny — so do you know the proforma, the final account, and how expenses are separated among the parties? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers the disbursement accounts: the accurate recording of owners' funds and the final disbursement account; the need for funds in advance and the proforma disbursement account; the separating of expenses among owners, time charterers, charterers, and merchants; the agent's role in collecting freight and the importance of speedy remittance; and the stages in recovering overdue accounts, including ship arrest, and the value of a shipbroker's P&I Association.
Outcome
You can allocate a port call's expenses among the parties, explain the proforma and final accounts, and outline the recovery of an overdue sum. (Accounts)
Sub-units