期租船舶被海盗劫持期间是否构成停租的探讨

The Issue on Whether Constituted Off-hire When Time Chartered Ship Hijacked by Piracy

在期租合同没有明确规定的情况下,船舶被海盗劫持并不构成定期租船合同中的停租条件,承租人不可以在船舶被劫持期间停付他原本应当向出租人支付的租金。为了明确责任,避免纠纷,双方当事人应当在合同中加以明确,或者将BIMCO海盗条款并入在期租船合同中,或者修改标准合同条款内容。

The vessel seized by pirates does not constituted the off- hire in time charter without explicitly specified agreement in the contract and the charterer can not stop paying the hire to the shipowner during the pe- riod of vessel hijacked. In order to determine the responsibility and avoid disputes, it should be made clear in the contract by both parties. Therefore the BIMCO Piracy Clause should be incorporated in the time charter par- ty or revise the contents of＂ the standard forms to provide a solution to this often contentious issue.