DIPLOMA IN SHIP

AND PORT AGENCY

EXPLORING THE AGENTS’ ESSENTIAL
DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS TO THE
SHIP OR CARGO OWNER IN PORT,
AND THE VITAL ROLE THEY PLAY
IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Assessed and
Awarded by
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 ABOUT THIS COURSE

The course includes a thorough examination of the modern

agent’s role, the different services required and provided,
core commercial skills, legal issues for agents, and the
latest contemporary issues in the sector.

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

Delivered by experts in
the field – Course Director:
Darrell Bate

Duration:
12 months

KEY INFORMATION
Delivery:
Online When does it start and how long is the course?
The course is 12 months long and the modules are
released online, one every month. Please go online to
Award: see the next available start date.
Diploma in Ship What are the entry requirements?
and Port Agency
Participants should be able to prove a minimum
achievement of A-Level or equivalent (High School) or
those who demonstrate a number of years of relevant
industry experience are welcome to apply. You must
have an adequate command of English in order to
meet the demands of the course.
How is the course assessed?
The course is assessed through a mixture of written
course work and online tests. Written assignments
are submitted online and written feedback is provided
by the marker.
How much does it cost?
Please go online to
www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/spa and see the
Fees page for full details. An interest-free instalment
plan is available. Please contact us for more details.

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WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?

IDEAL FOR
 arly or mid-career ship and port agents wishing to develop
E
their knowledge
 xperienced agents wishing to update their knowledge and
E
prepare for fresh challenges
Group bookings
 eneral managers and operations managers at agency
G
may qualify for companies
a discounted
 eafarers wanting to move into a shore-based role with an
S
enrolment fee.
agency
Click here to find Professionals wishing to develop a role in ship and port agency
out more.  hipping company personnel wishing to understand the work
S
of the agent

I was impressed with the way the

Ship Agent Diploma was delivered,
the data and the useful information
WHAT YOU we gained from this course. I would
recommend this course for all who
WILL LEARN are involved in the maritime industry
as it contributes to the continuing
 nderstand the role, duties and obligations of the agent
U professional development
as a representative of a ship and/or cargo owner
needs of everyone in it
 escribe different ship types, layouts, terminology and
D
associated vessel and cargo documentation M.El Zein, Sea Pride Enterprise
 nderstand the commercial and business relationships between
U
agents and stakeholders
 xplain the operational and financial work of the agent in relation to
E
the ship operator, ships’ crew, the cargo owner and the port authority
Describe the documentation related to a vessel call
Explain financial accounting responsibilities of the agent
Analyse challenges affecting ship and port agents

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 COURSE DIRECTOR

Darrell Bate

Darrell began his maritime career with the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd
at the age of 16 and completed a four-year deck officer cadetship, studying
at the College of Nautical Studies in Warsash. He obtained his Class 3
Certificate of Competency and HNC in Nautical Science and served as
third officer aboard general cargo vessels trading worldwide. In 1983
he came ashore to take up a ship operations post with Kearvaig
Shipping, the UK operator for Salen Shipping. This led to a job with
Genchem Chartering, a specialist firm in chemical transportation
based in London. During this time Darrell successfully passed
his Chartered Shipbroker examinations and became a member
of the Chartered Institute of Shipbrokers. He worked latterly
as shipbroker with Baltic Exchange-based Van Ommeren
Marine before leaving the industry in 1988 to work in retail
management. He had a brief spell back at sea in the early
nineties serving as 2nd Officer aboard supertankers
bound for demolition.

In 1996 Darrell retrained as an NVQ Trainer/

Assessor and began a new career in post 16
education and training, obtaining a Certificate
in Education and BSc in Education and
Training. He has worked in both colleges
and private training providers in a number
of curriculum roles including lecturer,
Head of School, Quality Manager and
Senior Manager. His current role is
the lead manager for performance
and data at a large London
further education college. HOW YOU WILL LEARN
Every course is broken down into manageable modules, designed to
accelerate your learning process through diverse learning activities:

Work through your instructional material online

I nteract with your peers and learning facilitators through the online
forum to discuss subject related issues and to network with your
fellow learners
Investigate relevant, real-world case studies
Apply what you learn each week to ongoing project submissions

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SYLLABUS

MODULE 1 MODULE 2
Ships and the Maritime Environment The work of the Ship and Port Agent
Brief Description: Brief Description:
Introduction to the role of the Ship and Port Agent and Agent’s authority and consequences of breaching their
related tasks/required skills authority.
- An overview of the agency, companies Liability and fiduciary duty of agents
groups/networks and the market Quality standards
- Ship and Port Agent service provider roles - FONASBA quality standard for ship agents and brokers
- Global hub agencies - ASBA agent member certification
- Regional agencies
Serving the ship owner and crew successfully
- Local agencies
Conflicts of interest – and avoiding conflicts of interest
Agent membership organisations
Penalties
- Federation of National Associations of Shipbrokers
& Agents (FONASBA) Duties/rights and obligations of types of agents
- European Community Association of Shipbrokers - Port agents/liner agents/own agencies/cargo broker
& Agents (ECASBA) -F ull/husbandry/protective agency/nominated/
- Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ASBA) performing agency
- Other national associations - Owners vs charterers agency’s
The maritime sector Pre-arrival/port operations/post departure
- Types of vessels and the cargoes they carry Notice of Readiness/Statement of Facts
- Vessel terminology Port services and the harbour authority
- Outline ports and terminals Ship services
- Trade routes and liner vs tramp shipping Cargo services
- Commodities
Crew services
Learning Outcomes: Communicating to the ship owner and other
Describe the role of the Ship and Port Agent stakeholders
Analyse the competitive landscape of agency provision Particular issues by ship type
Recognise marine industry terminology - Dry and liquid bulk
- Containers
-C ruise (turnaround, transit)
- Ferries and RoRo vessels
Multicultural working and communication skills
IMDG Code for agents
-R equirements of agents to have IMDG Code
competence
- Key elements of the IMDG Code for agents
Learning Outcomes:
Classify the types of services offered/required
of an agent
Describe the agent/principal relationship
Explain the various roles offered by an agent
Discuss the importance of communication
Describe the ship owners’ and cargo owners’
requirements and expectations

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 SYLLABUS CONTINUED

MODULE 3 MODULE 4
Commercial Relationships Ship Documentation
Brief Description: Brief Description:
Commercial position of the ship/port agent UNCLOS and the international conventions that
- Forming a sound relationship between the principal and govern the maritime industry,
the agent The administration of these conventions by flag states,
- Assessing the principal’s needs port states and coastal states
- Credit analysis
- Agency appointment and acceptance The registration of ships
- Contracts/agency agreements The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the
- Templates conventions that govern shipping
- Maintaining records - SOLAS
Remuneration and the format for the charging of - ISM Code
services provided - ISPS Code
- Rate structures/agreed fees/margins - IMDG Code
- Recharging fees - MARPOL
- STCW
Financial management
The requirement for marine accident investigation
Business development following a major incident
- Marketing and sales development for agents
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and their
QA procedures/ISO accreditation conventions that govern shipping
Local laws and regulations Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)
Legal position of ships’ master and the ships’ agent Crew employment contracts
Press and public relations Crew documentation
- Managing the public and media
The role of Classification Societies
Learning Outcomes: Certificates and surveys
Categorise how an agent is remunerated - Marine insurance
Understand core marketing and business - Hull and machinery
development skills - P&I
- War risks
Describe core agency contract terms and clauses
- Cargo insurance
Explain how agents work in the best interest
of their client Learning Outcomes:
Describe how ships are regulated
Discuss the documentation required by a vessel
to trade
Recognise the agents role in relation to this
documentation
Analyse the ship owners’ need for marine insurance

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SYLLABUS CONTINUED

MODULE 5 MODULE 6
Cargo Documentation What Agents Need to Know about
Brief Description: Chartering
Bills of Lading Brief Description:
- Distinguishing negotiable bills from straight bills and Chartering contracts and comparison to responsibilities
seaway bills; house, groupage and switch bills and liabilities of parties
- Three functions of the bill of lading: receipt; record of
contract of carriage; and document of title How ship agents facilitate the owners and the charterers
- Clean and dirty bills of lading; letters of indemnity The role of the agent with time and voyage
- Implied obligations of the shipowner and shipper charterparties
including declaration of dangerous goods Key issues relating to liquid and dry cargoes
- Shipboard familiarisation, training and safety drills
Time charterparties
- Complications of transhipment
- The charterparty period
- Clauses that cause particular problems; Incorporation of
- What are the owner’s obligations for the chartered
charterparty terms and arbitration and jurisdiction
vessel
Rotterdam Rules and Hague, Hague Visby and - Charterer’s rights
Hamburg Rules - Off-hire clauses
- Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971 - Safe ports, berths and places
- Application of the rules: when do they apply?
Voyage charterparties
- The carrier’s obligations - Identifying the contractual carrier; bills of lading under
- Defences charterparties
- Limitation of liability under the rules; global limitation - Contractual terms/Voylay Rules 1993
- Shipper’s obligations
- Loading and unloading cargo
- Hamburg rules
- Laytime and demurrage
- Multimodal transport - Exceptions to laytime
- Electronic bills of lading
- Title to sue and liability to the carrier; UK Carriage of Learning Outcomes:
Goods by Sea Act 1992; bailor’s rights Explain the different types of charterparties and their
Manifests implication on the agent
Customs Discuss the role of agents in relation to charter parties
Learning Outcomes:
Describe the documentation related to cargo being carried
and understand the agents role in relation to it
Describe the various INCOTERMS and their impact
on the agent
Describe international maritime trade and the matrix of
contracts
Discuss how INCO terms define the liabilities between
seller and buyer

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 SYLLABUS CONTINUED

MODULE 7 MODULE 8
Port Agency Operations Legal Aspects of Ship and Port Agency
Brief Description: and Insurance
When does the ships agent’s role commence and end?
Brief Description:
Providing information to the principal and master
Legal principles governing the agent relationship
Intelligence and planning - National and international legal frameworks
Preparing and briefing personnel on client expectations -Agent, master, harbour master, pilot, VTS, tug
Pre-arrival relationships
- Pre-call planning Importance of staying abreast of arbitrations
- Appointment arrangements: VTS, berth, pilot, towage, line
handlers, terminal operations/stevedores Introduction to shipping and maritime law
- Vessel service planning Professional indemnity insurance
- Cargo planning Ship arrest
- Launch planning - The 1952 and 1999 Convention on the arrest of ships
Port operations - Admiralty court jurisdiction and procedure
- Arrival arrangement - Ship arrest and the Brussels Convention
- Bill of lading arrangements and release of cargo - Sister ships and associate ships
- Bunkering - Judicial sales
- Cargo operations supervision/checking/clearance - Litigation and interlocutory orders
- Coordination of booked activities/services and contracts - Ship arrest and the agent
- Crew welfare and social issues Principles of General Average
- Customs, border agency and immigration
- Inspections, insurance and claims handling Learning Outcomes:
- Labour relations (and the ITF) Describe the elements of shipping and maritime law
- Launch services which are relevant to agents
- Monitoring of operations
- Pollution response Discuss the impact on agents of maritime arbitrations
- Port state control Describe the agents’ role in the event of a ship arrest
- Repairs/dry docking
- Security
- Shore personnel
- Statement of facts, laytime, demurrage and despatch
- Surveys in port (including draft, tanks)
Post departure
- Departure arrangements
- Disbursement account I would definitely recommend the
- Port dues
- Custom dues course as I found it very useful to
- Sub-contractor and supplier fees my professional development in
Use of computers for data interchange, the
internet and email the shipping business
- Software and EDI standards
R.Pinto, LBH Group
Use of computers for data interchange, the
internet and email
- Personal protection and PPE
- Dockside and shipboard work
Learning Outcomes:
Explain the different types of charterparties and their
implication on the agent
Discuss the role of agents in relation to charter parties

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SYLLABUS CONTINUED

MODULE 9 MODULE 10
Finance, Accounting, Credit Contemporary Issues
Management Brief Description:
Brief Description: Issues facing agents
Financial relationship between agent and principal - Competition
-C hanging relationships between agents and
Rate structures, fees and margins stakeholders
Client credit analysis - Increasing complexity and regulation
Credit and debt management - Ethics
-Enterprise resource planning systems
Disbursement account management - Web based agent systems
- Importance of accurate recording of spending - Changes in the liner sector
- Receiving funds in advance - Cultural understanding
- Proforma disbursement accounts
- Humanitarian support for seafarers
- Processing payments and record keeping
- The IMDG Code
- Invoice receipt, issuing and management
- Final disbursement accounts Learning Outcomes:
- Variance management Critique contemporary issues impacting on the sector
- Cashflow management
- Payment systems, remittance processes and costs
- Off-setting in accounts
Monitoring costs and competitiveness
Vendor checks and terms of supply MODULE 11
Budgets and reporting
Case Study: Current Issues in Ship and
Learning Outcomes:
Port Agency
Explain the financial role of the agent
Discriminate between types of revenue and Learning Outcomes:
expenditure Apply learning from across the course to a topical case
Discuss how to manage 3rd party vendors study situation
Produce a detailed report drawing together learning
from across the course

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 WHO WE ARE
ABOUT LLOYD’S MARITIME ACADEMY
Lloyd’s Maritime Academy was born from Lloyd’s List.
Lloyd’s Maritime Academy is the trusted brand for professional development,
working with leading academic and industry bodies to provide accredited
education and training where it is much needed.
We are stepping up investment in new learning management platforms, improved content and learner resources
to enhance your experience and ensure maximum reward for the investment you make in your future.
We continue to research new topics to provide you with the qualifications needed for a successful career;
supporting a safer, cleaner and more efficient shipping industry for decades to come.
We look forward to welcoming you onto one of our programmes.
www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com

WHY TAKE A LLOYD’S MARITIME ACADEMY COURSE?

Accessible – 24/7 Quality – study the same Save money –
availability from wherever course used by corporations no additional travel or
you have an internet for internal training accommodation costs
connection

Network – with tutors and
Flexible – take control of like-minded professionals
where, when, how and the from around the world.
rate at which you study Use our online tutorial
forum to ask questions
Professional – industry and share knowledge
leading course directors
and tutors 

ASSESSED AND AWARDED BY NORTH KENT COLLEGE

North Kent College is a major UK college based on the River Thames
providing further and higher education in the south east of England.
The College caters for more than 4,500 students across two main
campuses, with a wide variety of academic and vocational courses,
as well as professional education and training via short courses,
part-time study or distance learning. Full-time and part-time higher education
programmes and foundation degrees are delivered via a partnership with the
University of Greenwich.
The National Maritime Training Centre at North Kent College is widely
recognised within the maritime industry for providing sector-specific training
within high quality industry-standard facilities.
The College is committed to helping students to achieve their ambition –
whether they wish to gain their first job, achieve high-level professional
qualifications, change career or prepare for their next promotion.
The College takes pride in working in partnership with industry to
provide the correct mix of knowledge and practical skills that are
required to sustain the workforce.
North Kent College is a partner of Lloyd’s Maritime Academy
in delivering this course and manages assessment,
quality assurance and the award of the professional
development Diploma.
www.northkent.ac.uk/nmtc

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 Assessed and Awarded by:

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HERE TO
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If you have any questions about the course or applying, please contact us on:

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