DOP (Dropping Outward Pilot)

This expression is used to identify the point at which a time-chartered ship is “delivered” to the Charterer or “redelivered” to the shipowner. The place of delivery and redelivery are the places where the time charter commences or comes to an end. Normally the place of actual delivery or redelivery and where an “on-hire survey” or “off-hire survey” would be carried out would be a berth, but the time from which hire is to be paid or until which hire is paid may be an “artificial” point such as when the ship has left the berth, and the pilot who assists with the navigation of the ship to the pilot station, disembarks from the ship.

Same ports may require the services of more than one pilot to be used, one from the berth to the channel leading out to the port limits, and another for navigation within the channel, or, in a port which requires a river or canal passage, one pilot may assist in navigating the ship within the river or canal and another “sea-pilot” navigates the ship between the sea pilot station and the river or canal. In relation to time chartering, the type of port and the nature of pilot services will therefore be important to the period for which hire is paid.