J. M. Baxi & Co. under its agency division handled full agency and recorded a very good rise in the number of vessels handled at Vadinar Lighterage Point Offshore (LPO) under Jamnagar branch. The present statistics indicate that the number has more than doubled since LPO season 2018.

This year the number has risen to a total of 23 vessels, of which 06 are STBL’s (Ship to be lightered) & 17 are daughter vessels, and we are still counting. The number of vessels has grown more than double as compared to last year where we worked on 08 daughter vessels.

The LPO season usually begins with the onset of South West monsoon in India i.e., from mid-June and continues till end September.

Vadinar LPO is an ideal location for Ship To Ship operation as it is considered to be a sheltered location and therefore, the adverse effects of monsoon do not pose much risk to the lighterage operations. This also happens at a time when other lighterage ports in India have to put a halt to their lighterage operation due to the great risk brought in by the monsoon season.

With every agency nomination we receive, there also comes the opportunity to prove ourselves, as an agency house, which can deal with any situation that can arise there from. For instance, one of the vessel’s reducers were not as per the governing Charter Party norms and team worked overnight to get the reducers fabricated and delivered to the vessel thereby cutting down on losses which could have been incurred if proactive measures were not taken.

The entire operation right after the appointment of agency till the granting of necessary permissions for lighterage operation is governed by strict customs regulations and every minute wasted will result in significant losses to Owners / Charterers.