Why Aren’t Ports Accepting a Ship After the Captain Died at Sea?

Why Aren’t Ports Accepting a Ship After the Captain Died at Sea?

Do you know the flying Dutchman in the 21st century? Hello, this is Reinhard von Hennigs. Force majeure was declared on the container ship, Intel Liberia the other day when the ship is driving or flying over the oceans with no Harbor willing to accept them. This reminds me of the opera, the flying Dutchman.

However, the story is quite different. And now as a result of that, force majeure was declared concerning goods and items shipped on that vessel. The captain died. The ship is subject to Coronavirus infection on many of the crew members. And it's expected that the captain died of Corona, even though the official results are still out. Multiple harbors in the Asian world are not taking this ship in, and now the ship made the decision to go to Italy, to repatriate the dead body of the captain, and then to continue to ship it back over to Asia, hoping to let go of some of their cargo. What does it mean if you're waiting for cargo on that ship? Well, force majeure was declared and as part of that, no Asian ports are accepting the vessel.

So items that are on that ship can not be put into commerce. Therefore, if you're waiting for goods on that ship, you are out of luck. In practical terms, it serves again as one of those many reminders. And also it is a continuation of a couple of other morning musings I had that force majeure clauses are relevant.

They're relevant today. Maybe they're relevant today, more than ever, because what used to be unforeseeable is now a reality. Who would have thought that a ship's captain would die and many, many ports will not allow the ship to enter? Check your force majeure clauses, and make sure that you are covered in transactions like that.

#431, June 2021, force majeure, cargo ship, COVID, contracts, port.