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Not Always Afloat, But Always Safely Aground (NAABSA) OT

Posted By: svilo
Date: Monday, 20 December 2010, at 11:57 p.m.

Not Always Afloat, But Always Safely Aground (NAABSA) OT

I guess many will be in this state in the coming weeks :)

In my youth, as a university student, during the summer 3 month vacation I used to work for a sea cargo booking and vessel chartering agent. I liked the job and I stayed to work there for 2-3 years.It was a prestigeous job (one needed to have a Rohnson lighter, to be always well shaved and to have a good nose:) - i.e. be well informed. I had a salary of USD 30:) As we said: soldiers and Generals were Awarded (medals), because it was cheaper than to REward. We felt proud to be smart brokers. One had to be good at see law, to be a fast typist (we used one of the first telex machines in my country (1969), to know the General Charter terms by heart and to be able to carry a fast, on telex, negotiation.

One of the terms was the above NAABSA Not Always Afloat, But Always Safely Aground (NAABSA)

The charterer assumes the obligation to provide a port of loading or discharge with enough depth for the vessel. In the worst case (a reflux) the vessel may happen to lie on sand but never on rock.

Wish all of you Not Always Afloat, But Always Safely Aground (NAABSA)