In Re the Arbitration Between Sea Dragon, Inc. & Gebr. Van Weelde Scheepvaartkantoor B.V.

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

KEVIN THOMAS DUFFY, District Judge:

Petitioner, Sea Dragon, Inc. (“Sea Dragon”), owner of the vessel M.V. DIMOS HALCOUSSIS, seeks to confirm an arbitration award against respondent, Gebr. Van Weelde Scheepvaartkantoor B.V. (“Van Weelde”), charterer of the same vessel. Petitioner is a Panamanian corporation and respondent is a Dutch corporation. For the reasons set forth below, the arbitration award is vacated.

I

FACTS

In June, 1981, the parties entered into a contract for the shipment of four cargoes of sugar. The vessel performed the chartered voyage and discharged on February…