Any subject-matter may be insured for a voyage ‘from’ or ‘at and from’ a particular place. This has to be set out in the Policy Schedule under the heading, ‘Voyage or Period of Insurance’. Unless the policy otherwise provides, the words ‘from’ and ‘at and from’ will have the meaning given to them.
‘From’
When a ship is insured ‘from’ a particular place, ‘the risk does not attach until the ship starts on the voyage insured’ from that particular place. Whether a ship has or has not commenced on a particular voyage is in each case a question of fact. The act of quitting her moorings or breaking ground is generally recognised as an act signifying the commencement of a voyage.
This alone, however, is not sufficient to trigger the attachment of the policy.
She must start on the ‘voyage insured’. This necessarily means that moving the ship from one part of the port to another will not count as starting on the voyage insured, nor does the moving out of port for a purpose other than for starting on the ‘voyage insured’. For the risk to attach, the physical act must be accompanied with the intention to start on the voyage insured.
Alteration of port of departure
Needless to say, if a ship is to sail from a port other than the named port, the risk does not attach. This means that, where the place of departure is specified by the policy, and the ship instead of sailing from that place sails from any other place, the risk does not attach.
Sailing for a different destination
The same result would arise if the ship is to start on a voyage to a destination other than that contemplated by the policy. Hence, when the destination is specified in the policy, and the ship, instead of sailing for that destination, sails for any other destination, the risk does not attach.
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