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The Wayfinder Podcast Episode 3: Weather-related cargo claims with David Richards of Shearwater Law

Sofar Ocean

In Episode 3 of The Wayfinder Podcast, host Nicholas Arthur sits down with David Richards, Director at Shearwater Law, former Deputy Global Head of P&I Claims at NorthStandard, and author of Cargo Claims: The Essential Guide, to discuss the legal and commercial exposure created by weather-related cargo damage.

With a super El Niño looming and container losses already on the rise, weather-related cargo claims are an increasingly urgent concern for ship operators and cargo carriers alike. The defenses most rely on — including the "peril of the seas" — may not hold the way they expect.

The conversation covers which cargoes and routes carry the most exposure, how pre-voyage planning is scrutinized when claims go to dispute, what operators should be doing in the first 24 hours after an incident, and why good data is increasingly being used to defend claims as much as prevent them.

A grounded, experience-led conversation for anyone whose operation depends on getting cargo from A to B in one piece.

The Wayfinder Podcast facilitates direct, experience-led conversations with maritime leaders, operators, and Sofar Ocean experts on how the shipping industry navigates risk, volatility, and an increasingly unpredictable ocean.

Listen to Episode

The Wayfinder Podcast Episode 3: Weather-related cargo claims with David Richards of Shearwater Law

May 26, 2026

When does bad weather stop being a legal defense and start being a planning failure?

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