The May 4th ruling by an Egyptian court that ULCV Ever Given (IMO 9811000) would continue to be held in the Great Bitter Lake, has been met with disappointment from the Ever Given’s P&I insurer UK Club and by the ship’s technical manager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM).
Japan-based owner Shoei Kisen had appealed against the vessel’s detention, requesting that the normal procedure of a bond being posted and the vessel being allowed to proceed about its business while the dispute played out wither in the courts or through arbitration.
The court in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, which had approved the detention of the ship following the submission of a report by the SCA, upheld the decision. The reasoning for the ruling was not immediately clear, but the SCA had argued that the plaintiff had not notified all the required parties of its challenge to the ship’s detention within the required time limit.
UK Club said that the owners were now reviewing their options, noting that they had until May 20th to appeal.
The UK Club said that the appeal was made “on several grounds, including the validity of the arrest obtained in respect of the cargo and the lack of supporting evidence for the SCA’s very significant claim”.
BSM also expressed its disappointment at the ruling, and was thought to be preparing a longer statement. 2018-built, Panama-flagged, 219,079 gt Ever Given is owned by Luster Maritime/Higaki Sangyo care of Shoei Kisen KK of Imabari-shi, Ehime-ken, Japan. It is entered with UK Club on behalf of Luster Maritime SA