Description
This book is the evolution of the “Chartering Practice Handbook” (2000) and the “Chartering Practice Manual” (2010), by Thomas Pagonis. The present profound edition is the result of combined forces and close cooperation based on the prolonged friendship of the authors Captain Nick Pentheroudakis and Thomas Pagonis.
It is a solid attempt to cover all aspects of Chartering in form of an easy-to-use vital tool, presented and expressed in plain practitioners’ language. The result of the commitment of the writers is this unique manual which is addressed to those dealing with shipping, trading, banking, insurance etc. both newcomers and executives. In fact, the authors experienced strong demand from clients and friends to proceed with this book.
Additionally, during their lectures the audiences, either shipping professionals or university students, insisted that their long experience should be maintained in a “scripta mannent” way in form of a Manual. And in fact, it seems that before this Book, such a tool written by practitioners, was unavailable worldwide.
The sequence of Chapters in this book is presented in such an order so that the whole chain of stages of the sea transportation is covered. That is, from the commodity sale contract to the delivery of cargo at the discharging port. Another very important part of this book is the commentaries of modern shipping documents and the comparison with the elder ones.
Additional distinguished part is the “Legal Element” and over 30 English court decisions presented in plain language, which give to the reader additional information and deeper knowledge. In this way, the reader comprehends how courts decide shipping disputes today. The authors, dedicated to present precise and applicable for the years to come material, spent numerous man-hours in gathering and analyzing, general and particular pieces of information from organizations like BIMCO, IMO, ICC, UNCITRAL, INTERCARGO, RIGHTSHIP, LMAA, IG P&I clubs, Law firms …etc.
The writing of this book, took longer than the authors expected, as during their efforts to present an integrated “Manual”, they surprisingly understood that there are always new fields to be explored and that the Journey of Knowledge never ends. Therefore, “Practitioners’ Book Avenue”, proudly presents the “Chartering Manual by Practitioners” which is a unique tool for the Shipping Industry of today, written by its own distinguished members.
January 2019
Fenia Kourouti –
Due to the fact that this year I attend the circle of seminars in Hellenic Shipbrokers Association, I had the pleasure to meet an excellent professor, broker and first of all kind person,Mr. or as we useto call him Captain Nick Pentheroudakis . Besides the fact that he is always helpful and kind to all of his colleagues and students, he tries always his best to enrich our knowledge and our perspective in any possible aspect of shipping industry. I was informed about the creation and publication of his book , in collaboration with Mr. Thomas J. Pagonis , ‘’ Chartering Manual by PRACTITIONERS’’ , a few days before its release. I bought that manual at the first publishing day.It is an analytical and very readable book. It really helps you to understand basic semantics in terms of Chartering and shipping world in general. In a simple and intuitive way, it puts you in a process of thinking more globally and being systematically informed.As a holder of the previous manual of honorable Mr. Thomas J. Pagonis, ‘’ The Chartering Practice Manual – ShipBroker/ Freight Trader’’ which was also an excellent guidance to me and I gained elemental knowledge, i realize that this new manualis extra improved, revised and the most important of all, it keeps its readers up to date. This Manual is fully informed until the January of 2019 and it’s easy to face this fact even just byflipping though its pages. If someone asked me to describe this book in three words, they would be , first of all topical : it comprehends spacious interpretation and commentary on N.Y.P.E 2015, BARECON 2017, BIMCO Bunker Terms 2018, secondly interactive: 30 clarified Court decisions come to make you consider and gain critical thinking and last but not least this manual is absolutely innovative : it gives to controversial and newcomer topics such as Cyber-crime and Electronic and ‘’Ad Valorem’’ Bs/L a shout-out. To sum up I would like to thank Mr. N. Pentheroudakis and Mr. Thomas J. Pagonis for this Chartering ‘’gift’’ and to mention that it is very important and reassuring for me to realize that there are these people in our shipping world who are eager to create a Book – Manual not only for those who are already in shipping industry and they just want to improve their knowledge but also for those who would like to start from zero. Books like that one enhance our mind and make us the professionals of tomorrow.
Joe Koen –
Not only a perfect tool for students and graduates, but also a valuable asset for my daily shipping tasks.Highly recommended!
Dr Alkis John Corres (verified owner) –
Shipping is a complicated business and the duties of a shipping CEO require knowledge and skills from no less than a dozen different disciplines. Even the most experienced ship manager will discover after reading this 386 page book that he needs to brush up his knowledge in some areas that he never thought it would be necessary before.
The range of subjects covered is phenomenal. One would not normally expect to find an extensive analysis on electronic bills of lading and guidance on N.Y.P.E. court cases under the same cover, and yet both are there for those interested, along with a commentary on the 2018 Bunker Terms by BIMCO and a very clear review on voyage estimation.
Other than the range of subjects, the book is wonderfully user friendly. The authors do not hesitate to interrupt their argumentation to explain in plain language the meaning of the terms used by them to make sure everyone is on the same boat. The text’s intention is clearly to educate rather than impress the reader.
The book also has a brief section on strategy and risk dealing also with the fundamental areas where a shipping executive will have to make decisions, usually under uncertainty. Disputes between charterers and owners are as one would expect catered for at some length, as – much to my surprise –Cyber risk and Cyber crime with a documented historical review of literature on this subject.
It is unusual to find a book which can be recommended to a mixed audience of academics, researchers, professionals, students from several disciplines and ship officers with management aspirations alike. Yet, this is exactly the case with this painstaking piece of work. It is not a book for the shelf, it is one for the desk’s drawer. Don’t miss it.
Dr Alkis John Corres ,Athens is a Maritime Economist
Executive Advisor on European Affairs : Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners’ Association – Shortsea Promotion Centre of Greece
Professorships: AEGEAN UNIVERSITY, Department of Shipping Studies and Business School. CITY LAW SCHOOL, London, ABAT OLIBA CEU, Barcelona, Spain. ALBA Graduate Business School, Athens, Greece.
Public Power Corporation: Advisor on Shipping.
NIKOLAS TRIKERIOTIS (Gas Analyst at Clarksons Platou, London) –
The “Chartering Manual by Practitioners” is the product of the joint efforts and long-standing cooperation between Cpt. Nick Pentheroudakis and Mr. Thomas Pagonis, with decades of day-to-day experience each. Two well-established and respected figures in the chartering and wider shipping world, by whom I was fortunate enough to have been taught more than 6 years ago prior to gaining my certification, at the SGC courses of the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association led by reputable professionals. I am very pleased to have the outcome of their new daring venture in my hands. An invaluable, practical book for both beginners and more experienced professionals in shipping and its interrelated sectors, as well as anyone who would like to understand better the constantly evolving dynamics of this critical, yet alluring function of the shipping world. I wish their new venture fair winds and following seas!
JOHN FARACLAS (Specialist in maritime affairs, consultant and writer, London) –
‘Chartering Manual’ makes a big splash (By John Faraclas)
This specialist shipbroking book is now the fifth volume* residing on my bedside table!
You all know how particular I become – and I am on many issues and in relation to the many books I read and then study – also for reviewing same with the allaboutshipping team and with other colleagues in the past.
Now this book could appear at no better time and serves both as a beacon of intelligence, having in-depth analysis and explanations of various issues for all practitioners and more importantly it should be the text-book so to speak in all maritime universities and academies for deck and engine cadets and officers; and needless to say how useful it is for students of law and ship finance. It’s the way and the simple shipbrokers “dialect” in which it is written also that counts for a lot – being in my past life a shipbroker I give the thumbs-up for this directness that governs its pages…
Going through these 400 pages, one by one, I found the book benefiting from a very consistent layout; a landmark book without any further question and one of the most useful to appear in a long time. Captain Nickos Pentheroudakis and Thomas Pagonis have produced a manual that should be taken as a seminal text in every shipping school of business all over Planet Ocean. The advantage comes from the fact that both authors had a successful career with the international and Greek shipping community which is perhaps the most challenging in the world, working in many capacities – owner’s broker, charterers’ brokers, bank brokers and shipmanagers’ brokers. The advantages of seafaring are paramount here and Nickos Pentheroudakis’s experience at sea comes into its own. Good to see an important reference to the ship sales and purchase sector too.
The big thing here is that, unlike books written by legal people that are with all due respect complicated and understood by the few, this one is accessible and easily absorbed so to speak by a wide spectrum of those close to this key part of the global economy.
Shipbrokers are the best diplomats and certainly with all due respect, the Greeks are among those at the top of the tree… and this is clearly reflected in this superb reference work.
If The Prince by Machiavelli is the Bible of realpolitik, the Chartering Manual is the Bible for those who want to avoid many of shipping’s risks and achieve the right fixtures and earnings and smooth all payments without unnecessary disputes!
*The other four are: Plato’s Republic, the New Testament, Lily Zografos’s The Antignosis and The Venetian Mask by Marie Ghisi.
Søren Larsen (Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO) –
Att Capt. Nick Pentheroudakis,
Thank you so much for sending me a copy of the Chartering Manual by Practitioners with a wonderful handwritten note of dedication on the inside. This was really a great thing to receive and I can assure you that it will form a valuable part of our library here at BIMCO…..
I have already had a preview of the book but will bring it with me home over the weekend for a closer look and read. But let me compliment you for the layout. It is really neat and I have the same feeling as when I am sitting with our “Check before Fixing” – a good sense of quality and practicality. It is a guide written by practitioners for practitioners. I am, of course, very happy to see the many references to BIMCO products not least the recent Bunker Terms 2018. It is great marketing for BIMCO and our contractual work….
Warm regards
Søren Larsen
Deputy Secretary General
Stavros Tiliakos (Hellenic Navy Commodore, Deputy Commander at Hellenic Joint Supreme Warfare College, Thessaloniki) –
It was in September 2015 that I met Captain Nick Pentheroudakis at the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association in Piraeus to attend a circle of ship broking seminars. I couldn’t imagine before what an experience that would be for me, by augmenting the perspectives of my personal development. Since I had a military origin as a navy officer, these seminars paved a new way for me towards merchant shipping industry and gave view to new challenges. Captain Nick Pentheroudakis was the man that shaped for me all these new areas accompanying my itinerary through all procedural, practical, and statutory aspects related to ship broking as an integral part of the merchant shipping framework. It was a great pleasure for me to meet such an excellent professor, broker and first of all kind person, easily distinguishable among others. What surprised me most about Nick wasn’t only his vast knowledge and unsurmountable experience in maritime issues, or the helpful approach he always adopted towards everyone asked for his opinion, but also his unstoppable eagerness to enrich his students’ knowledge and perspective in any possible aspect of shipping industry, with a view to make them more professionals. I recently had his new book, in collaboration with Mr. Thomas J. Pagonis, ‘’ Chartering Manual by Practitioners’’ and I was astonished by its simplicity and effectiveness in presenting chartering procedures and relevant material. It is a book that once you start reading it; you would not stop unless you reach the end. Nick has a unique way to keep the reader΄s interest at its peak all the way through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone involved in maritime industry activities, irrelevant of his experience and knowledge level so far. Nick thank you for everything you offered me!
Marios Saravanos –
The “Chartering Manual” constitutes the perfect guide for a youngster who’s taking his first steps not only in the chartering sector but generally in the shipping industry. This book should provide significant knowledge and details based on the gentle flow of its chapters and the careful description of certain aspects. Finally, I can describe this as the best companion for solving your daily questions in your working environment.
Kelly Kyrgiaki (Post fixing – Operations Dept.) –
Excellent manual for those diving into Shipping Industry, covering all aspects of the market. Thanks to its plain language and its practical approach through real-world cases, “Chartering Manual by Practitioners” is a must-have for both shipping beginners and professionals.
Pesonally, I use it as a guidance to my daily tasks and it has been proved surprisingly useful along the way.
Last but not least, it should be noted that this edition was published in 2019, therefore you will have the latest updates on the maritime field.