ASBATIME. The code name given to the 1981 derivation of the original New York Produce Exchange form (NYPE) of charterparty. The 1981 version was published by The Association of Shipbrokers and Agents U.S.A. Inc. (ASBA), New York.

As fast as the vessel can . . . (FAC). The laytime is a period of time that may be calculated by reference to the maximum rate at which the vessel, in full working condition, is capable of cargo operations, that is, of receiving or delivering the cargo.

ANERA. This is the acronym given to an organisation of ship operating and owning companies that operate liner services between Asia and North America.

Agency fee. The agency fee is the remuneration for the agents who have attended to the ship's business during its stay at their port. 

AMWELSH (Americanised Welsh Coal Charterparty). A standard-form voyage charterparty for the carriage of coal, published by ASBA in 193 and amended in 1979.

Authority to sign B/Ls-General. The bill of lading (B/L) is signed by only one party representing the carrier. The person signing could be the shipowner if the owner is the carrier, but it is more likely that other persons will sign on his behalf, as the shipowner's agents.

Advance freight. As a rule the freight on cargo shipped under a charterparty is payable at destination upon delivery to consignees.

Anti-pollution clauses. These are clauses inserted in a charterparty and generally place responsibility on the shipowner to ensure that he obtains suitable insurance cover or can provide alternative security for compensation he may become liable to pay for pollution, by oil (or similar substances) and for clean-up costs. 

Articles of Agreement. This was the name given to the document in which the terms of the crew employment agreement was contained. Under some flags, the Crew Agreement is still called the “Articles”. The name came from the different paragraphs in the document, each one numbered as “Article 1”, “Article 2”, and so on. The Agreement was also sometimes called “ship’s articles” or “shipping articles” and indicated that the contract was between the seaman and the master. 

ARA (Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam). A range of ports in a charterparty or report of a fixture specifying that the ship is chartered to load or discharge at a port or ports in this range. 

Authority of charterers, sub-charterers or their agents to sign. The ASBATTME Time charterparty states in the "Employment clause" that the Captain

All purposes.  When laytime can be added together by the Charterer for loading and discharging operations as if one total time is specified to cover both operations, this is "reversible laytime" and is referred to as the number of days. far all purposes In a laytime calculation based on reversible laytime a specific clause must the charterer the option and the charterer must exercise the option after declaring that he is doing so. 

Always accessible. The charterers can send the ship to ports in which the ship can be reached for the purpose of handling cargo or carrying out any other activity with the shore and as required by the Charterer.