Maritime glossary · Laydays/Cancelling
Laycan
The window of dates within which a chartered vessel must arrive and tender notice, or the charterer may cancel.
Definition
Laycan, short for laydays and cancelling, is the date range agreed in a charter party during which the ship must arrive at the load port and tender its Notice of Readiness. If the vessel arrives before the first layday, the charterer need not start cargo operations until it opens; if it arrives after the cancelling date, the charterer may cancel the fixture. Laycan is one of the most negotiated terms when fixing tonnage to cargo.
Worked example
A cargo with a 10 to 15 March laycan needs a ship that can tender Notice of Readiness within that window. A vessel that cannot arrive until the 17th is off the fixture unless the dates are extended.
How Vessel Hunter uses Laycan
Matching a ship’s realistic ETA to a cargo’s laycan is the daily work of chartering desks. Vessel Hunter’s position and ETA data feed straight into it.
Related terms
- Notice of ReadinessNoR
The master’s formal notice that the vessel has arrived and is ready to work cargo, which starts laytime.
- Charter Party
The contract under which a vessel is hired to a charterer: voyage, time, or bareboat.
- Laytime
The time agreed in the charter party for cargo loading or discharge. Once exceeded, demurrage starts.
- ETAEstimated Time of Arrival
The forecast time at which a vessel is expected to arrive at its next port or waypoint.
The bigger picture
Laycan is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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