“CLASSIFICATION CLAUSE”

 

Clause CE203 of the Royal Belgian Association of Marine Insurers dd. 28 June 2001

 

Free and non-committal translation

In case of dispute regarding the interpretation of the wording, the Dutch and/or French version prevail

 

1.       QUALIFYING VESSELS

 

This insurance and the marine transit rates as agreed in the policy or open cover apply only to cargoes and/or interests carried by mechanically self-propelled vessels of steel construction or of other metallic alloys and classed with a Classification Society which is:

 

1.1   a Member or Associate Member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS*),

or

1.2   a National Flag Society as defined in Clause 4 below, but only where the vessel is engaged exclusively in the coastal trading of that nation (including trading on an inter-island route within an archipelago of which that nation forms part).

 

Cargoes and/or interests carried by vessels not qualified as above are held covered at rates and conditions to be agreed, provided they are notified to underwriters as soon as the assured is privy to it.

 

2.       AGE LIMITATION

 

Cargoes and/or interests carried by Qualifying Vessels (as defined above) which exceed the following age limits will be insured on the policy or open cover conditions subject to an additional premium to be agreed:

 

2.1   bulk or combination carriers over 10 years of age;

 

2.2   other vessels over 15 years of age unless they :

2.2.1  have been used for the carriage of "general cargo" on an established and regular pattern of trading between a range of specified ports, and do not exceed 25 years of age,

or

2.2.2  were constructed as containerships, vehicle carriers or double-skin open-hatch gantry crane vessels and have been continuously used as such on an established and regular pattern of trading between a range of specified ports, and do not exceed 30 years of age.

 

3.       CRAFT CLAUSE

 

The requirements of this Clause do not apply to any craft used to load or unload the vessel within the port area.

 

4.       NATIONAL FLAG SOCIETY

 

A National Flag Society is a Classification Society which is domiciled in the same country as the owner of the vessel in question which must also operate under the flag of that country.

 

*    For a current list of IACS Members and Associate Members please refer to the IACS website at www.iacs.org.uk