The rise of autonomous ships requires a huge shift in so many facets of maritime frameworks, not least when it comes to paperwork.
Shipping organisation BIMCO’s documentary committee has adopted the so-called AUTOSHIPMAN agreement in response to a growing number of remotely controlled ships.
The AUTOSHIPMAN agreement provides a standard contractual foundation for third-party shipmanagers to deliver services for the operation of remotely controlled or fully autonomous ships.
The agreement has been developed using the widely used SHIPMAN agreement to govern commercial services and provide the framework for the obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities. One of the key features of AUTOSHIPMAN is the flexibility that allows ships to switch operational modes even during a voyage.
The flexibility matters because it may be a legal requirement for remotely controlled ships to be partially or fully manned when passing through the territorial waters of a jurisdiction or for calling at a port.
“Currently, remotely controlled ships are operating commercially in several parts of the world. We are seeing growth in this sector with several companies emerging and offering remote control management services to shipowners,” said Captain Ajay Hazari from Anglo-Eastern, who led the AUTOSHIPMAN drafting team.