KembaraXtra - Legal Terms - Running Days

Running days is a maritime law expression used in calculating lay days. It refers to consecutive calendar days counted continuously. The calculation normally includes weekends and public holidays unless the contract provides otherwise. The term is used in charterparties and shipping agreements. Its purpose is to determine the period allowed for loading or unloading a vessel.

Lay days are the days contractually permitted for cargo operations. When those days are described as running days, the clock continues without interruption. Bad weather, Sundays, and holidays may still count unless expressly excluded. Clear contractual wording is therefore essential. Different expressions can produce very different commercial consequences.

Running days differ from working days. Working days generally exclude periods when work cannot ordinarily be carried out. Weather working days may also exclude time lost because of unsuitable weather. Running days are broader because they usually count every calendar day. The distinction affects when demurrage begins.

Once the permitted lay days expire, the charterer may become liable for demurrage. Demurrage is an agreed payment for delay beyond the allowed loading or unloading period. Accurate calculation of running days is therefore commercially important. Shipping disputes frequently concern when time began and whether it was interrupted. Courts interpret the relevant charterparty as a whole.

The concept reflects the need for certainty in maritime commerce. Shipowners suffer financial loss when vessels are delayed in port. Charterers need to know precisely how much time is available. Running-day clauses provide a straightforward method of measurement. They remain a common feature of shipping contracts.