BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has adopted the AUTOSHIPMAN agreement in response to a growing number of remotely controlled ships.

The AUTOSHIPMAN agreement provides a standard contractual foundation for third-party ship managers to deliver services for the operation of remotely controlled or fully autonomous ships. Remotely controlled ships are currently used primarily in inland waterways and coastal trades, but the sector is growing.

“Currently, remotely controlled ships are operating commercially in several parts of the world. We are seeing growth in this sector with several companies emerging and offering remote control management services to shipowners,” said Captain Ajay Hazari, Anglo Eastern, who led the AUTOSHIPMAN drafting team.

The agreement has been developed using the widely used SHIPMAN agreement to govern commercial services and provide the framework for the obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities. One of the key features of AUTOSHIPMAN is the flexibility that allows ships to switch operational modes even during a voyage.

The flexibility matters because it may be a legal requirement for remotely controlled ships to be partially or fully manned when passing through the territorial waters of a jurisdiction or for calling at a port.

“AUTOSHIPMAN is a first step by BIMCO into the commercial operation of remotely controlled ships, and perhaps eventually fully autonomous ships. During the development of AUTOSHIPMAN, we were assisted by legal and insurance experts, and we have gained valuable insight throughout the process from companies who are already operating ships remotely around the world,” says Grant Hunter, Director, Standard, Innovation and Research at BIMCO.