Delicate situation

A ship at an outer anchorage in Bangladesh had completed discharge and had all the papers necessary for departure. However, before the anchors were lifted, the Port Authority notified the Captain that the ship had been arrested for a financial guarantee against a new cargo claim, and that the relevant Court order was being taken to the ship by small boat. The ship disregarded this notice and sailed. However, shortly after this, the time charterer of a sister ship issued a bill of lading requiring delivery of the cargo on board to this same port.

I was instructed by the shipowner to meet with officials from the Court and negotiated a deal to ensure that punitive action would not be taken against the sister ship when it arrived to discharge its cargo.