Emergency Contact Notice of Readiness Home Latest updates Publications Notice of Readiness 10 Apr 2025 View PDF Sign up for alerts A notice of readiness (NOR) is the notification that (i) the vessel has arrived at the agreed place; and (ii) it is ready to load or discharge (physically and legally). The purpose of providing an NOR is two-fold, it both confirms to the charterers that the vessel is at their disposal and also gives a start point of when laytime has commenced. The validity of an NOR is a common source of dispute and can lead to arguments over whether a charterer is entitled to cancel the charterparty as the vessel has not met the laycan (the specific time frame when a vessel is permitted/required to arrive at the load port). Disputes may also arise regarding whether demurrage (liquidated damages for delay) can be charged.   When is an NOR valid? An NOR will be valid if the vessel: (i)   has arrived at the agreed destination within the period of time agreed by the parties; and (ii)   is both physically and legally ready for cargo operations. Arrived ship For the NOR to be valid, the vessel must constitute an “ arrived ship ”, meaning the NOR must be tendered upon the ship’s arrival at the agreed destination between the parties. The terms of the charterparty will determine the exact location, but normally this will be either a specified port, dock or berth. The charterparty may contain additional qualifying provisions in relation to whether the vessel is an “ arrived ship ”, such as: WIPON – ‘Whether In Port Or Not’ WIBON – ‘Whether In Berth Or Not’ WICCON – ‘Whether Customs Cleared Or Not’ WIFPON – ‘Whether in Free Pratique Or Not’ (this refers to permission given by a port for a vessel to enter once it has been certified as being free of infectious disease by the competent health authorities). The addition of clauses such as these may allow an owner to tender an NOR earlier than they would be contractually permitted to, had the c