Affreightment

A contract of affreightment is a contract with a ship-owner to hire his ship, or part of it, for the carriage of goods. Such a contract generally takes the form either of a charter-party or of a bill of lading.

Maude & P. Mer. Shipp. 227; Smith, Merc. Law. 295.

In French law, freighting and affreighting are distinguished. The owner of a ship freights it, (le frete;) he is called the freighter, (freteur;) he is the letter or lessor, (locateur, locator.) The merchant affreights (affrete) the ship, and is called the affreighter, (affreteur;) he is the hirer, (locataire, conductor.) Emerig. Tr. des Ass. c.

11, § 3.