What is NAABSA ports?

What is NAABSA ports?

“Not always afloat but safely aground”, or NAABSA, is used to describe ports where the seabed is suitable for the vessel to rest at low tide without damage to its hull.

What is a Naabsa berth?

A NAABSA berth is a berth at which a ship may ground in safety at low water. The bottom at such berths is usually soft mud. The berth operator should have a system for ensuring that vessels using the berth can do so without suffering damage.

Is East Coast South America a naabsa port?

The NAABSA provision in the charterparty stated “ unlimited NAABSA option for ECSA [East Coast South America] ”. In their message containing the voyage instructions, charterers did not mention that the port is a NAABSA port. Local agent’s pre-arrival message, however, identified it as one but this was overlooked by the Master.

What is the naabsa right to request a vessel to lie aground?

The first paragraph of the NAABSA wording gives the charterers the right to request the vessel to lie safely aground for the purposes of loading and/or discharging operations.

What does naabsa mean for charter parties?

The NAABSA wording is meant to be a starting point for negotiations and should be used only when NAABSA has been agreed by the owners. Should the owners have any reservations as to where they would accept NAABSA, i.e., particular ports and places, they should ensure that such reservations are incorporated into their charter party.

What are naabsa wordings and why are they important?

The reason for this approach is simply that NAABSA wordings are more commonly found as an integral part of the berthing provisions of charter parties, rather than as a free-standing clause. The NAABSA wording is meant to be a starting point for negotiations and should be used only when NAABSA has been agreed by the owners.