AA - Always Afloat (In some ports
the ship aground when approaching,
or at berth.)
AAPA - American Association of Port
Authorities.
ABAFT - A point beyond the midpoint
of a ships length, towards the rear
or stern.
ABANDON - A proceeding wherein a
shipper/consignee seeks authority to
abandon all or parts of their cargo.
ABLE-BODIED SEAMAN - A member of the
deck crew who is able to perform all
the duties of an experienced seaman;
certificated by examination; must
have three years sea service. Also
called Able Seaman and A.B.
ABS - American Bureau of Shipping: A
U.S.-based private classification,
or standards setting society for
merchant ships and other marine
systems.
ACP - Alternative Compliance
Program.
AD VALOREM - A term from Latin
meaning, "according to value."
ADMEASUREMENT - The confirmed or
official dimensions of a ship.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE - A
representative of a government
commission or agency vested with
power to administer oaths, examine
witnesses, take testimony, and
conduct hearings of cases submitted
to, or initiated by, that agency.
Also called Hearing Examiner.
AFFREIGHTMENT, CONTRACT OF - An
agreement by an ocean carrier to
provide cargo space on a vessel at a
specified time and for a specified
price to accommodate an exporter or
importer.
AFT - In, near, or toward the stern
of the vessel.
AGENCY FEE - A fee charged to the
ship by the ship's agent,
representing payment for services
while the ship was in port.
Sometimes called attendance fee.
AGENCY TARIFF - A tariff published
by an agent on behalf of several
carriers.
AID - Agency for International
Development.
AIS - Automatic Identification
System.
ALLISION - The act of striking or
collision of a moving vessel against
a stationary object.
ALONGSIDE - A phrase referring to
the side of a ship. Goods delivered
"alongside" are to be placed on the
dock or barge within reach of the
transport ship's tackle so that they
can be loaded.
AMC - American Maritime Congress.
AMIDSHIPS - Generally speaking, the
word amidships means in the middle
portion of a vessel.
AMO - American Maritime Officers.
AMOS - American Maritime Officers
Service.
API - American Petroleum Institute.
APPS - The Act to Prevent Pollution
from Ships.
ARA - American Radio Association.
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT - The document
containing all particulars relating
to the terms of agreement between
the master of the vessel and the
crew. Sometimes called ship's
articles, shipping articles.
ASTERN - A backward direction in the
line of a vessel's fore and aft
line; behind. If a vessel moves
backwards it is said to move astern;
opposite to ahead.
AT SEA - In marine insurance this
phrase applies to a ship which is
free from its moorings and ready to
sail.
AUTOMATIC PILOT - An instrument
designed to control automatically a
vessel's steering gear so that it
follows a pre-determined track
through the water.
AWO - American Waterway Operators.
BACKFREIGHT - The owners of a ship
are entitled to payment as freight
for merchandise returned through the
fault of either the consignees or
the consignors. Such payment, which
is over and above the normal
freight, is called backfreight.
BACKHAUL - A deviation to move cargo
on the return leg of a voyage for
the purpose of minimizing ballast
mileage and thereby reducing
transportation costs.
BAF - Bunker Adjustment Factor, used
to compensate for fluctuating fuel
costs.
BAGGED CARGO - Various kinds of
commodities usually packed in sacks
or in bags, such as sugar, cement,
milk powder, onion, grain, flour,
etc.
BALLAST - Heavy substances loaded by
a vessel to improve stability,
trimming, sea-keeping and to
increase the immersion at the
propeller. Sea water ballast is
commonly loaded in most vessels in
ballast tanks, positioned in
compartments right at the bottom and
in some cases on the sides, called
wing tanks. On a tanker, ballast is
seawater that is taken into the
cargo tanks to submerge the vessel
to a proper trim.
BALLAST MOVEMENT - A voyage or
voyage leg made without any paying
cargo in a vessel's tanks. To
maintain proper stability, trim, or
draft, sea water is usually carried
during such movements.
BALLAST TANK - Compartments at the
bottom of a ship or on the sides
which are filled with liquids for
stability and to make the ship
seaworthy. Any shipboard tank or
compartment on a tanker normally
used for carrying salt-water
ballast. When these compartments or
tanks are not connected with the
cargo system they are called
segregated ballast tanks or systems.
BARE BOAT CHARTER - A charter in
which the bare ship is chartered
without crew; the charterer, for a
stipulated sum taking over the
vessel for a stated period of time,
with a minimum of restrictions; the
charterer appoints the master and
the crew and pays all running
expenses. See Demise Charter.
BARGE - Flat-bottomed boat designed
to carry cargo on inland waterways,
usually without engines or crew
accommodations. Barges can be lashed
together and either pushed or pulled
by tugs, carrying cargo of 60,000
tons or more. Small barges for
carrying cargo between ship and
shore are known as lighters.
BARGE ABOARD CATAMARAN - A way of
loading cargo into large barges and
then in turn loading the barges into
a ship.
BARGE CARRIERS - Ships designed to
carry either barges or containers
exclusively, or some variable number
of barges and containers
simultaneously. Currently this class
includes two types of vessels, the
LASH and the SEABEE.
BARRATRY - An act committed by the
master or mariners of a vessel, for
some unlawful or fraudulent purpose,
contrary to their duty to the
owners, whereby the latter sustain
injury. It may include negligence,
if so gross as to evidence fraud.
B/d -Barrels per day (measure of
petroleum production).
BEAM - The width of a ship. Also
called breadth.
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP - Designates
the owner who receives the benefits
or profits from the operation.
BERTH CARGO - When a liner cargo
vessel accepts extra cargo to fill
up the empty space remaining.
BILL OF LADING - A document by which
the Master of a ship acknowledges
having received in good order and
condition (or the reverse) certain
specified goods consigned to him by
some particular shipper, and binds
himself to deliver them in similar
condition, unless the perils of the
sea, fire or enemies prevent him, to
the consignees of the shippers at
the point of destination on their
paying him the stipulated freight. A
bill of lading specifies the name of
the master, the port and destination
of the ship, the goods, the
consignee, and the rate of freight.
BIMCO - Baltic and International
Maritime Council.
B/L - Bill of Lading
BLACK CARGO - Cargo banned by
general cargo workers for some
reason. This ban could be because
the cargo is dangerous or hazardous
to health.
BLACK GANG - A slang expression
referring to the personnel in the
engine department aboard ship.
BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Department of Labor.
BOATSWAIN (BOSUN) - The highest
unlicensed rating in the deck
department who has immediate charge
of all deck hands and who in turn
comes under the direct orders of the
master or chief mate or mate.
BOILERS - Steam generating units
used aboard ship to provide steam
for propulsion (and) for heating and
other auxiliary purposes.
BOW - The front of a vessel.
BOW THRUSTERS - A propeller at the
lower sea-covered part of the bow of
the ship which turns at right angles
to the fore-and-aft line and thus
provides transverse thrust as a
maneuvering aid.
B/p or BOP - Balance of payments.
BREADTH - See Beam
BREAKBULK - The process of
assimilating many small shipments
into one large shipment at a central
point so that economies of scale may
be achieved; to commence discharge
of cargo.
BREAKBULK VESSEL - A general,
multipurpose, cargo ship that
carries cargoes of nonuniform sizes,
often on pallets, resulting in
labor-intensive loading and
unloading; calls at various ports to
pick up different kinds of cargoes.
BRIDGE - Used loosely to refer to
the navigating section of the vessel
where the wheel house and chart room
are located; erected structure
amidships or aft or very rarely fore
over the main deck of a ship to
accommodate the wheelhouse.
BULK - Cargo shipped in loose
condition and of a homogeneous
nature. Cargoes that are shipped
unpackaged either dry, such as grain
and ore, or liquid, such as
petroleum products. Bulk service
generally is not provided on a
regularly scheduled basis, but
rather as needed, on specialized
ships, transporting a specific
commodity.
BULK CARRIER - Ship specifically
designed to transport vast amounts
of cargoes such as sugar, grain,
wine, ore, chemicals, liquefied
natural gas; coal and oil. See also
LNG Carrier, Tanker, OBO Ship.
BULKHEAD - A name given to any
vertical partition which separates
different compartments or spaces
from one another.
BUNKERS - Fuel consumed by the
engines of a ship; compartments or
tanks in a ship for fuel storage.
BUOY - A floating object employed as
an aid to mariners to mark the
navigable limits of channels, their
fairways, sunken dangers, isolated
rocks, telegraph cables, and the
like; floating devices fixed in
place at sea, lake or river as
reference points for navigation or
for other purposes.
CABLE SHIP - A specially constructed
ship for the laying and repairing of
telegraph and telephone cables
across channels, seas, lakes, and
oceans.
CABOTAGE - The carriage of goods or
passengers for remuneration taken on
at one point and discharged at
another point within the territory
of the same country.
CABOTAGE POLICIES - Reservation of a
country's coastal (domestic)
shipping for its own flag vessels.
CAF - Currency Adjustment Factor, a
charge that is applied to compensate
ocean carriers for currency
fluctuations.
CAORF - Computer-Assisted Operations
Research Facility: A MarAd R&D
facility located at U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy, Kings Point, New
York.
CARGO - Freight loaded into a ship.
CARGO HANDLING - The act of loading
and discharging a cargo ship.
CARGO MANIFEST - A manifest that
lists all cargo carried on a
specific vessel voyage.
CARGO PLAN - A plan giving the
quantities and description of the
various grades carried in the ship's
cargo tanks, after the loading is
completed.
CARGO PREFERENCE - Reserving a
portion of a nation's imports and
exports to national-flag vessels.
CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA ACT 1936 (COSGA)
- A law enacted in 1936 covering the
transportation of merchandise by sea
to or from ports of the United
States and in foreign trades.
CARRIERS - Owners or operators of
vessels providing transportation to
shippers. The term is also used to
refer to the vessels.
CATAMARAN - A double or
treble-hulled vessel constructed in
wood, aluminum or reinforced glass
fibre and is also composed of two or
three hulls diagonally joined
together by various methods.
Normally no ballast is needed to
counteract the center buoyancy since
it enjoys good stability at sea.
CATUG - Short for Catamaran Tug. A
rigid catamaran tug connected to a
barge. When joined together, they
form and look like a single hull of
a ship; oceangoing integrated
tug-barge vessels.
CATWALK - A raised bridge running
fore and aft from the midship, and
also called "walkway." It affords
safe passage over the pipelines and
other deck obstructions.
CCC - Commodity Credit Corporation,
an agency within the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
CCF - Capital Construction Fund: A
tax benefit for operators of
U.S.-built, U.S.-flag ships in the
U.S. foreign, Great Lakes, or
noncontiguous domestic trades, by
which taxes may be deferred on
income deposited in a fund to be
used for the replacement of vessels.
CDS - Construction Differential
Subsidy: A direct subsidy paid to
U.S. shipyards building U.S.-flag
ships to offset high construction
costs in American shipyards. An
amount of subsidy (up to 50 percent)
is determined by estimates of
construction cost differentials
between U.S. and foreign yards.
Program has not been funded since
1981.
CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability
Act.
CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION - The
document issued by the U.S. Coast
Guard certifying an American-flag
vessel's compliance with applicable
laws and regulations.
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRY - A document
specifying the nation registry of
the vessel.
C & F - Cost and Freight
C & I - Cost and Insurance
CHANDLER - A person who deals in the
selling of provisions, dried stores,
etc.
CHARTERER - The person to whom is
given the use of the whole of the
carrying capacity of a ship for the
transportation of cargo or
passengers to a stated port for a
specified time.
CHARTER PARTY - A contractual
agreement between a ship owner and a
cargo owner, usually arranged by a
broker, whereby a ship is chartered
(hired) either for one voyage or a
period of time.
CHARTER RATES - The tariff applied
for chartering tonnage in a
particular trade.
CHIEF ENGINEER - The senior engineer
officer responsible for the
satisfactory working and upkeep of
the main and auxiliary machinery and
boiler plant on board ship.
CHIEF MATE - The officer in the deck
department next in rank to the
master; second in command of a ship.
He is next to the master, most
especially in the navigation and as
far as the deck department is
concerned. The chief mate assumes
the position of the Master in his
absence.
C.I.F. - Cost, Insurance and
Freight: Export term in which the
price quoted by the exporter
includes the costs of ocean
transportation to the port of
destination and insurance coverage.
CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY - Worldwide
experienced and reputable societies.
which undertake to arrange
inspections and advise on the hull
and machinery of a ship. A private
organization that supervises vessels
during their construction and
afterward, in respect to their
seaworthiness, and the placing of
vessels in grades or "classes"
according to the society's rules for
each particular type. It is not
compulsory by law that a shipowner
have his vessel built according to
the rules of any classification
society; but in practice, the
difficulty in securing satisfactory
insurance rates for an unclassed
vessel makes it a commercial
obligation.
CLEAN SHIP - Refers to tankers which
have their cargo tanks free of
traces of dark persistent oils which
remain after carrying crudes and
heavy fuel oils.
COASTWISE - Domestic shipping routes
along a single coast.
CODE OF LINER CONDUCT (UNCTAD) - A
convention drafted under the
auspices of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development
which provides that all shipping
traffic between two foreign
countries is to be regulated as far
as the quantities of shipments are
concerned on the following
percentages -- 40% for owners of the
country of origin, 40% for owners of
country of destination, and 20% for
owners of the country which is
neither the origin nor the
destination.
COFR - Certificate of Financial
Responsibility.
COGSA - Carriage of Goods by Sea Act
of 1936. U.S. federal codification
passed in 1936 which standardizes
carrier's liability under carrier's
bill of lading. U.S. enactment of
The Hague Rules.
COLLIER - Vessel used for
transporting coal.
COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM -
Electronic system commonly used to
prevent collisions in inland
navigable waterways.
COLREG - Convention on International
Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea.
COMBI - Combination passenger/cargo
vessel; a vessel specifically
designed to carry both containers
and conventional cargoes.
COMBINATION PASSENGER AND CARGO
SHIPS - Ships with a capacity for 13
or more passengers.
COMMON CARRIER - Holds himself out
for hire to the general public. Must
post rates and cannot discriminate
against customers whose cargo he is
equipped to carry.
COMPLEMENT - The number of officers
and crew employed upon a vessel for
its safe navigation and operation.
CONFERENCE - An affiliation of
shipowners operating over the same
route(s) who agree to charge uniform
rates and other terms of carriage. A
conference is "closed" if one can
enter only by the consent of
existing members of the conference.
It is "open" if anyone can enter by
meeting certain technical and
financial standards. Conference
members are common carriers.
CONSIGNEE - The person to whom cargo
is consigned as stated on the bills
of lading.
CONSIGNOR - The person named in the
bill of lading as the one from whom
the goods have been received for
shipment.
CONTAINER - A van, flatrack, open
top trailer or other similar trailer
body on or into which cargo is
loaded and transported without
chassis aboard ocean vessels.; a
large rectangular or square
container/box of a strong structure
that can withstand continuous rough
handling from ship to shore and
back. It opens from one side to
allow cargo to be stacked and stowed
into it.
CONTAINER MANIFEST - Document
showing contents and loading
sequence of a container.
CONTAINER TERMINAL - An area
designated for the stowage of
cargoes in container; usually
accessible by truck, railroad and
marine transportation. Here
containers are picked up, dropped
off, maintained and housed.
CONTINERIZABLE CARGO - Cargo that
will fit into a container.
CONTAINERSHIP - A ship constructed
in such a way that she can easily
stack containers near and on top of
each other as well as on deck. A
vessel designed to carry standard
intermodal containers enabling
efficient loading, unloading, and
transport to and from the vessel.
Oceangoing merchant ship designed to
transport a unit load of
standard-sized containers 8 feet
square and 20 or 40 feet long. The
hull is divided into cells that are
easily accessible through large
hatches, and more containers can be
loaded on deck atop the closed
hatches. Loading and unloading can
proceed simultaneously using giant
traveling cranes at special berths.
Container ships usually carry in the
range of 25,000 to 50,000 deadweight
tons. Whereas a general-cargo ship
may spend as much as 70 percent of
its life in port loading and
discharging cargo, a container ship
can be turned around in 36 hours or
less, spending as little as 20
percent of its time in port. This
ship type is the result of American
design innovation. Specialized types
of container ships are the LASH and
SeaBee which carry floating
containers (or "lighters,") and RoRo
ships, which may carry containers on
truck trailers.
CONTRABAND - Cargo that is
prohibited.
CONTRACT OF AFFREIGHTMENT (COA) - A
service contract under which a ship
owner agrees to transport a
specified quantity of fuel products
or specialty products, at a
specified rate per ton, between
designated loading and discharge
ports. This type contract differs
from a spot or consecutive voyage
charter in that no particular vessel
is specified.
CONTRACT CARRIER - Any person not a
common carrier who, under individual
contracts or agreements, transports
passengers or property for
compensation.
CPI - Consumer Price Index.
CREW - The personnel engaged on
board ship, excluding the master and
officers and the passengers on
passenger ships.
CREW LIST - List prepared by the
master of a ship showing the full
names, nationality, passport or
discharge book number, rank and age
of every officer and crew member
engaged on board that ship. This
serves as one of the essential
ship's documents which is always
requested to be presented and handed
over to the customs and immigration
authorities when they board the
vessel on arrival.
CROSS-TRADES - Foreign-to-foreign
trade carried by ships from a nation
other than the two trading nations.
CRUDE OIL WASHING - A technique of
cleaning tanks in oil tankers.
CSR - Continuous Synopsis Record, an
on-board record of the history of a
ship.
CTAC - Chemical Transportation
Advisory Committee, an industry
advisory body to the U.S. Coast
Guard.
D&H - Abbreviation for "Dangerous
and Hazardous" cargo.
DANGEROUS CARGO - All substances of
an inflammable nature which are
liable to spontaneous combustion
either in themselves or when stowed
adjacent to other substances and,
when mixed with air, are liable to
generate explosive gases or produce
suffocation or poisoning or tainting
of foodstuffs.
DANGEROUS LIQUIDS - Liquids giving
off inflammable vapors.
DAVITS - Two radial cranes on a ship
which hold the lifeboats. They are
constructed in such a way as to
lower and lift the lifeboats the
easiest way possible and are also
unobstructed in case of an
emergency.
DCA - Dredging Contractors of
America.
DDC - Destination Delivery Charge,
based on container size, that is
applied in many tariffs to cargo. It
covers crane lifts off the vessel,
drayage of the container within the
terminal and gate fees at the
terminal operation.
DEADFREIGHT FACTOR - Percentage of a
ship's carrying capacity that is not
utilized.
DEADWEIGHT - A common measure of
ship carrying capacity. The number
of tons (2240 lbs.) of cargo, stores
and bunkers that a vessel can
transport. It is the difference
between the number of tons of water
a vessel displaces "light" and the
number of tons it displaces "when
submerged to the 'deep load line'."
A vessel's cargo capacity is less
than its total deadweight tonnage.
The difference in weight between a
vessel when it is fully loaded and
when it is empty (in general
transportation terms, the net)
measured by the water it displaces.
This is the most common, and useful,
measurement for shipping as it
measures cargo capacity.
DEADWEIGHT CARGO - A long ton of
cargo that can be stowed in less
than 40 cubic feet.
DECK GANG - The officers and seamen
comprising the deck department
aboard ship. Also called deck crew,
deck department, or just deck.
DECKHAND - Seaman who works on the
deck of a ship and remains in the
wheelhouse attending to the orders
of the duty officers during
navigation and maneuvering. He also
comes under the direct orders of the
bosun.
DECK HOUSE - Small superstructure on
the top deck of a vessel, which
contains the helm and other
navigational instruments.
DECK LOG - Also called Captain's
Log. A full nautical record of a
ship's voyage, written up at the end
of each watch by the deck officer on
watch.
DECK OFFICER - As distinguished from
engineer officer, refers to all
officers who assist the master in
navigating the vessel when at sea,
and supervise the handling of cargo
when in port.
DEEP SEA TRADES - The traffic routes
of both cargo and passenger vessels
which are regularly engaged on the
high seas or on long voyages.
DEEP STOWAGE - Any bulk, bagged or
other type of cargo stowed in single
hold ships.
DEMISE CHARTER - See Bareboat
Charter.
DEMURRAGE - A fee levied by the
shipping company upon the port or
supplier for not loading or
unloading the vessel by a specified
date agreed upon by contract.
Usually, assessed upon a daily basis
after the deadline.
DENSITY - The weight of cargo per
cubic foot or other unit.
DISABLED SHIP - When a ship is
unable to sail efficiently or in a
seaworthy state as a result of
engine trouble, lack of officers or
crew, damage to the hull or ship's
gear.
DISCHARGES - An essential document
for officers and seamen as it serves
an official certificate confirming
sea experience in the employment for
which he was engaged.
DISPLACEMENT - The weight, in tons
of 2,240 pounds, of the vessel and
its contents. Calculated by dividing
the volume of water displaced in
cubic feet by 35, the average
density of sea water.
DOD - Department of Defense.
DOMESTIC OFFSHORE TRADES - Domestic
shipping routes serving Alaska and
non-continental U.S. States and
territories.
DOT - Department of Transportation.
DOUBLE BOTTOM - General term for all
watertight spaces contained between
the outside bottom plating, the tank
top and the margin plate. The double
bottoms are sub-divided into a
number of separate tanks, which may
contain boiler feed water, drinking
water, fuel oil, ballast, etc.
DRAFT - The depth of a ship in the
water. The vertical distance between
the waterline and the keel, in the
U.S. expressed in feet, elsewhere in
meters.
DRAYAGE - Charge made for local
hauling by dray or truck.
DRY-BULK CONTAINER - A container
constructed to carry grain, powder
and other free-flowing solids in
bulk. Used in conjunction with a
tilt chassis or platform.
DRY CARGO - Merchandise other than
liquid carried in bulk.
DRY CARGO SHIP - Vessel which
carriers all merchandise, excluding
liquid in bulk.
DRY DOCK - An enclosed basin into
which a ship is taken for underwater
cleaning and repairing. It is fitted
with water tight entrance gates
which when closed permit the dock to
be pumped dry.
DUAL PURPOSE SHIP - Specially
constructed ship able to carry
different types of cargoes such as
ore and/or oil.
DUMPING - Attempting to import
merchandise into a country at a
price less than the fair market
value, usually through subsidy by
exporting country.
DUNNAGE - A term applied to loose
wood or other material used in a
ship's hold for the protection of
cargo.
DWT - Deadweight tons.
EEC - European Economic Community.
EEZ - Exclusive Economic Zone.
ENTRY - A customs form used for the
clearance of ships or merchandise.
EUSC - Effective U.S. Control.
EVEN KEEL - When the draft of a ship
fore and aft are the same.
EXIMBANK - Export-Import Bank: A
Federal agency that aids in
financing exports of U.S. goods and
services through direct loans, loan
guarantees, and insurance.
FAK - Freight All Kinds, usually
referring to full container loads of
mixed shipments.
FAS - Free Along Side (of ship).
FCL - Full Container Load.
FEEDER - A grain container or
reservoir constructed around the
hatchway between two decks of a ship
which when filled with grain
automatically feeds or fills in the
vacant areas in the lower holds.
FEEDER SERVICE - Cargo to/from
regional ports are transferred
to/from a central hub port for a
long-haul ocean voyage.
FEEDER VESSEL - A short-sea vessel
which transfers cargo between a
central hub port and smaller "spoke"
ports.
FEU - Forty Foot Equivalent Units
(Containers).
FIO - Free in and out.
FIREMAN - an unlicensed member of
the engine, room staff whose duties
consist of standing watch in the
boiler room and insuring the oil
burning equipment is working
properly.
FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE - The
registration of ships in a country
whose tax on the profits of trading
ships is low or whose requirements
concerning manning or maintenance
are not stringent. Sometimes
referred to as flags of necessity;
denotes registration of vessels in
foreign nations that offer favorable
tax structures and regulations; also
the flag representing the nation
under whose jurisdiction a ship is
registered. Ships are always
registered under the laws of one
nation but are not always required
to establish their home location in
that country.
FLOATING OIL STORAGE - Oil stored on
floating vessels. It has been the
practice for oil to be stored in
large laid-up oil tankers in order
to offset the loss involved while
the tankers are inactive.
FMC - Federal Maritime Commission.
F.O.B - Free on Board: Export term
in which the price quoted by the
exporter does not include the costs
of ocean transportation, but does
include loading on board the vessel.
FOC - Flag of Convenience.
FORCE MAJEURE - The title of a
common clause in contracts,
exempting the parties for
non-fulfillment of their obligations
as a result of conditions beyond
their control, such as earthquakes,
floods or war.
FORE AND AFT - The direction on a
vessel parallel to the center line.
FORECASTLE - The raised part of the
forward end of a ship's hull. The
inside space may be used for crew
accommodation or quarters, though on
new ships this space is being used
for the storage of paints, tackle,
deck and engine stores, tarpaulins,
etc.
FORWARD - At or in the direction of
the bow. Also the fore part of the
ship.
FREE IN AND OUT (FIO) - Cost of
loading and unloading a vessel is
borne by the charterer/shipper.
FREIGHT - Refers to either the cargo
carried or the charges assessed for
carriage of the cargo.
FREIGHT FORWARDER - Arranges
shipments for customers usually
break bulk. Does not actually carry
the cargo or conduct business for
the ship.
FREIGHTERS - Breakbulk vessels both
refrigerated and unrefrigerated,
containerships, partial
containerships, roll-on/roll-off
vessels, and barge carriers.
FREIGHT RATE - The charge made for
the transportation of freight.
FULL CONTAINERSHIPS - Ships equipped
with permanent container cells, with
little or no space for other types
of cargo.
GANGWAY - A narrow portable platform
used as a passage, by persons
entering or leaving a vessel moored
alongside a pier or quay.
GAO - General Accounting Office.
GATS - General Agreement on Trade in
Services.
GATT - General Agreements on Tariffs
and Trade
GBL - Government Bill of Lading.
GDP - Gross Domestic Product: The
total value of goods and services
produced by a nation over a given
period, usually 1 year.
GENERAL CARGO - A non-bulk oil cargo
composed of miscellaneous goods.
GENERAL CARGO CARRIERS - Breakbulk
freighters, car carriers, cattle
carriers, pallet carriers and timber
carriers.
GMDSS - Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System.
GNP - Gross National Product: GDP
plus the net income accruing from
foreign sources.
GOVERNMENT IMPELLED - Cargo owned by
or subsidized by the Federal
Government.
GPS - Global Positioning System.
GREAT LAKES PORTS - Ports in the
lakes of Canada and/or USA popular
for grain shipments. In Canada: Port
Arthur and Fort William on Lake
Superior; Hamilton, Kingston,
Toronto and Prescott on Lake
Ontario. In USA: Chicago, Milwaukee
on Lake Michigan; Duluth and
Superior on Lake Superior and Toledo
on Lake Erie.
GREAT LAKES SHIP - Cargo ship
developed to carry raw materials and
manufactured goods on the Great
Lakes. Most carry bulk cargoes of
grain, iron ore or coal.
GROSS FREIGHT - Freight money
collected or to be collected without
calculating the expenses relating to
the running cost of the ship for the
voyage undertaken.
GROSS REGISTERED TONS - A common
measurement of the internal volume
of a ship with certain spaces
excluded. One ton equals 100 cubic
feet; the total of all the enclosed
spaces within a ship expressed in
tons each of which is equivalent to
100 cubic feet.
GROSS TONNAGE (GT) - Applies to
vessels, not to cargo, (0.2+0.02
log10V) where V is the volume in
cubic meters of all enclosed spaces
on the vessel.
GROUNDING - Deliberate contact by a
ship with the bottom while she is
moored or anchored as a result of
the water level dropping.
GYRO PILOT - An instrument, which
automatically controls and steers a
ship very accurately, compared with
human navigation. An advanced
bearing is set and the gyro pilot
will direct to that point.
HAGUE RULES - Rules governing the
carriage of goods by sea and
identifying the rights and
responsibilities of carriers and
owners of cargo. These rules were
published in 1924 following an
international convention and were
subsequently given the force of law
by many maritime nations.
HAGUE-VISBY RULES - A set of rules,
amending the Hague Rules published
in 1968 and subsequently given the
force of law by many maritime
nations.
HAMBURG RULES - Rules governing the
rights and responsibilities of
carrier and cargo interests which
may be incorporated into a contract
for the carriage of goods by sea
either by agreement of the parties
or statutorily. These rules were
adopted by the United National
Convention on the Carriage of Goods
by Sea in 1978.
HARBOR DUES - Various local charges
against all seagoing vessels
entering a harbor, to cover
maintenance of channel depths,
buoys, lights, etc. All harbors do
not necessarily have this charge.
HARBOR MASTER - A person usually
having the experience of a
certificated master mariner and
having a good knowledge of the
characteristics of the port and its
whole area. He administers the
entire shipping movements that take
place in and within reach of the
port he is responsible for.
HARD AGROUND - A vessel which has
gone aground and is incapable of
refloating under her own power.
HARD CURRENCY - A currency which is
sound enough to be accepted
internationally and which is usually
fully convertible.
HARTER ACT - (1893). This U.S.
statute refers to merchandise or
property transported from or between
ports of the United States and
foreign ports. Now partially
superseded by the US Carriage of
Goods by Sea Act of 1936.
HATCH - An opening, generally
rectangular, in a ship's deck
affording access into the
compartment below.
HAWSER - Large strong rope used for
towing purposes and for securing or
mooring ships. Hawsers are now
mostly made of steel.
HAZ MAT - An industry abbreviation
for "Hazardous Material."
HELM - A tiller or a wheel generally
installed on the bridge or
wheelhouse of a ship to turn the
rudder during manoeuvering and
navigation. It is in fact the
steering wheel of the ship.
HOISTING ROPE - Special flexible
wire rope for lifting purposes,
generally being of six strands with
19 wires in each strand and in most
cases having a hemp rope at the
center.
HOLD - A general name for the spaces
below the main deck designated for
stowage of general cargo. A hold on
a tanker is usually just forward of
#1 cargo tank. Some newer tankers
have no hold.
HOPPER BARGE - A barge which loads
material dumped into it by a dredger
and discharges the cargo through the
bottom.
HOVERCRAFT - A vessel used for the
transportation of passengers and
cargo riding on a cushion of air
formed under it. It is very
maneuverable and is also amphibious.
HMT - Harbor Maintenance Tax.
HULL - Shell or body of a ship.
HYDROFOIL - A craft more or less
similar to the Hovercraft insofar as
it flies over water and thus
eliminates friction between the
water and the hull. Under
acceleration it rises above water
but remains in contact with the
surface through supporting legs.
I/A - Abbreviation for "Independent
Action." The right of a conference
member to publish a rate of tariff
rule that departs from the
Agreement's common rate or rule.
IBU - Inlandboatmen's Union of the
Pacific.
ILO - International Labor
Organization: Based in Geneva, it is
one of the oldest components of the
UN system of specialized agencies
and has been involved over the years
in appraising and seeking to improve
and regulate conditions for
seafarers. In its unusual tripartite
way, involving official
representatives of government,
employer and employee interests, its
joint Maritime Commission have had
in hand moves on the employment of
foreign seafarers to urge the
application of minimum labor
standards, on crew accommodation,
accident prevention, medical
examination and medical care, food
and catering and officer's
competency.
IMDG - International Maritime
Dangerous Goods Code. Regulations
published by IMO for transporting
hazardous materials internationally.
IMF - International Monetary Fund.
IMO - International Maritime
Organization: Formerly known as the
Inter-Governmental Maritime
Consultative Organization (IMCO),
was established in 1958 through the
United Nations to coordinate
international maritime safety and
related practices.
INDEPENDENT ACTION - Setting rate
within a conference tariff that is
different from the rate(s) for the
same items established by other
conference members.
INERT GAS SYSTEM - A system of
preventing any explosion in the
cargo tanks of a tanker by replacing
the cargo, as it is pumped out, by
an inert gas, often the exhaust of
the ship's engine. Gas-freeing must
be carried out subsequently if
worker have to enter the empty
tanks.
INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS - Liquids liable
to spontaneous combustion which give
off inflammable vapors at or below
80 degrees F. For example, ether,
ethyl, benzine, gasoline, paints,
enamels, carbon disulfide, etc.
INLAND CARRIER - A transportation
line that hauls export of import
traffic between ports and inland
points.
INLAND WATERS - Term referring to
lakes, streams, rivers, canals,
waterways, inlets, bays and the
like.
INMARSAT - International Maritime
Satellite System.
INTEGRATED TUG BARGE - A large barge
of about 600 feet and 22,000 tons
cargo capacity, integrated from the
rear on to the bow of a tug
purposely constructed to push the
barge.
INTERCOASTAL - Domestic shipping
routes serving more than one coast.
Water service between two coasts; in
the U.S., this usually refers to
water service between the Atlantic
and Pacific or Gulf Coasts.
INTERMODALISM - The concept of
transportation as a door-to-door
service rather than port-to-port.
Thus efficiency is enhanced by
having a single carrier coordinating
the movement and documentation among
different modes of transportation.
INTERNATIONAL LOAD LINE CERTIFICATE
- A certificate which gives details
of a ship's freeboards and states
that the ship has been surveyed and
the appropriate load lines marked on
her sides. A classification society
or the Coast Guard issues this
certificate.
INTERNATIONAL OIL POLLUTION
COMPENSATION FUND - An
inter-governmental agency designed
to pay compensation for oil
pollution damage, exceeding the
shipowner's liability. It was
created by an IMO Convention in 1971
and started its operations in
October 1978. Contributions come
mainly from the oil companies of
member states.
INTERNATIONAL TONNAGE CERTIFICATE -
A certificate issued to a shipowner
by a government department in the
case of a ship whose gross and net
tonnages have been determined in
accordance with the International
Convention of Tonnage Measurement of
Ships. The certificate states the
gross and net tonnages together with
details of the spaces attributed to
each.
INTERNATIONAL WATERWAYS - Consist of
international straits, inland and
interocean canals and rivers where
they separate the territories of two
or more nations. Provided no treaty
is enforced both merchant ships and
warships have the right of free and
unrestricted navigation through
these waterways.
INTERTANKO - An association of
independent tanker owners whose aims
are to represent the views of its
members internationally.
INTRACOASTAL - Domestic shipping
routes along a single coast.
ISM CODE - The International
Maritime Organization Assembly
adopted the International Safety
Management Code (ISM Code) in 1993.
On July 1, 1998, the ISM Code became
mandatory for passenger vessels,
passenger high-speed craft, oil
tankers, chemical tankers, bulk
carriers, and cargo high-speed craft
of 500 gross tons or more. On July
1, 2002, the ISM Code became
applicable to other cargo ships and
to self-propelled mobile offshore
drilling units of 500 gross tons or
more. (ISM Code - Chapter IX of
SOLAS).
ISPS CODE - The International Ship
and Port Facility Code adopted by an
IMO Diplomatic Conference in
December 2002. Measure is designed
to strengthen maritime security.
(ISPS Code - Chapter XI-2 of SOLAS).
JACOB'S LADDER - A rope ladder
suspended from the side of a vessel
and used for boarding.
JETTISON - Act of throwing cargo or
equipment (jetsam) overboard when a
ship is in danger.
JONES ACT - Merchant Marine Act of
1920, Section 27, requires that all
U.S. domestic waterborne trade be
carried by U.S.-flag, U.S.-built,
and U.S.-manned vessels.
KEEL - The lowest longitudinal
timber of a vessel, on which
framework of the whole is built up;
combination of iron plates serving
same purpose in iron vessel.
KNOT - Unit of speed in navigation
which is the rate of nautical mile
(6,080 feet or 1,852 meters) per
hour.
LADEN - Loaded aboard a vessel.
LAID-UP TONNAGE - Ships not in
active service; a ship which is out
of commission for fitting out,
awaiting better markets, needing
work for classification, etc.
LAKER - Type of ship which trades
only in the Great Lakes of North
America. They usually carry grain
and ore cargoes.
LANDBRIDGE - A system of through
rates and service offered by a
carrier for cargo shipments from a
foreign port to a U.S. port, across
U.S. land to another U.S. port and
finally by sea to a foreign port
destination.
LASH - Lighter aboard ship: A barge
carrier designed to act as a shuttle
between ports, taking on and
discharging barges.
LASH SHIPS - LASH stand for Lighter
Aboard Ship. It is a specialized
container ship carrying very large
floating containers, or "lighters."
The ship carries its own massive
crane, which loads and discharges
the containers over the stern. The
lighters each have a capacity of 400
tons and are stowed in the holds and
on deck. While the ship is at sea
with one set of lighters, further
sets can be made ready. Loading and
discharge are rapid at about 15
minutes per lighter, no port or dock
facilities are needed, and the
lighters can be grouped for pushing
by towboats along inland waterways.
LAYTIME - Time allowed by the
shipowner to the voyage charterer or
bill of lading holder in which to
load and/or discharge the cargo. It
is expressed as a number of days or
hours or as a number of tons per
day.
LAY-UP - Temporary cessation of
trading of a ship by a shipowner
during a period when there is a
surplus of ships in relation to the
level of available cargoes. This
surplus, known as overtonnaging, has
the effect of depressing freight
rates to the extent that some
shipowners no long find it
economical to trade their ship,
preferring to lay them up until
there is a reversal in the trend.
LCL - Less than Container Load, a
consignment of cargo, which is
inefficient to fill a shipping
container. It is grouped with other
consignments for the same
destination in a container at a
container freight station.
LIFEBOAT - A specially constructed
double ended boat which can
withstand heavy, rough seas.
LIFEBOAT DRILL - The master of every
vessel is bound by international law
to make the officers, crew and
passengers adequately acquainted
with the procedures of lowering and
the use of lifeboats in case of
emergency.
LIGHT DISPLACEMENT TONNAGE - The
weight of a ship's hull, machinery,
equipment and spares. This is often
the basis on which ships are paid
for when purchased for scrapping.
The difference between the loaded
displacement and light displacement
is the ship's deadweight.
LIGHTER - General name for a broad,
flat-bottomed boat used in
transporting cargo between a vessel
and the shore. The distinction
between a lighter and a barge is
more in the manner of use than in
equipment. The term "lighter" refers
to a short haul, generally in
connection with loading and
unloading operations of vessels in
harbor while the term "barge" is
more often used when the cargo is
being carried to its destination
over a long distance.
LIGHTER ABOARD SHIP - An ocean ship
which carries barges. These barges
are loaded with cargo, often at a
variety of locations, towed to the
ocean ship, sometimes referred to as
the mother ship, and lifted or, in
some cases, floated on board. After
the ocean crossing, the barges are
off-loaded and towed to their
various destinations. The ocean ship
then receives a further set of
barges which have been assembled in
readiness. This concept was designed
to eliminate the need for
specialized port equipment and to
avoid transshipment with its
consequent extra cost.
LIGHTERAGE - Charge for conveying
cargo by lighters or barges.
LIGHTERING - Conveying cargo with
another vessel known as a lighter
from ship to shore, or vice versa.
LINER - A cargo-carrying ship which
is operated between scheduled,
advertised ports of loading and
discharge on a regular basis.
LINER SERVICE - Vessels operating on
fixed itineraries or regular
schedules and established rates
available to all shippers. The
freight rates which are charged are
based on the shipping company's
tariff or if the company is a member
of a liner conference, the tariff of
that conference.
LIST - The amount in degrees that a
vessel tilts from the vertical.
LLOYD'S REGISTER OF SHIPPING -
British classification society.
LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas, or a
carrier of LNG.
LNG CARRIER - Liquefied natural gas
carrier, perhaps the most
sophisticated of all commercial
ships. The cargo tanks are made of a
special aluminum alloy and are
heavily insulated to carry natural
gas in its liquid state at a
temperature of -285°F. The LNG ship
costs about twice as much as an oil
tanker of the same size.
LOAD LINE - The line on a vessel
indicating the maximum depth to
which that vessel can sink when
loaded with cargo. Also known as
marks.
LOADED LEG - Subdivision of a ship's
voyage during which the ship is
carrying cargo.
LONG TON - 2,240 pounds.
LONGSHOREMAN -- Individual employed
in a port to load and unload ships.
LOOKOUT - A member of the crew
stationed on the forecastle, or on
the bridge, whose duty it is to
watch for any dangerous objects or
for any other vessels heaving into
sight.
LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas, or a
carrier of LPG.
LSA - Liner Shipping Agreements.
L/T - Long tons (2,240 lbs.).
MAIN DECK - The main continuous deck
of a ship running from fore to aft;
the principle deck; the deck from
which the freeboard is determined.
MALPRACTICE - A carrier giving a
customer illegal preference to
attract cargo. This can take the
form of a money refund (rebate);
using lower figures than actual for
the assessment of freight charges (undercubing);
misdeclaration of the commodity
shipped to allow the assessment of a
lower tariff rate; waiving published
tariff charges for demurrage, CFS
handling or equalization; providing
specialized equipment to a shipper
to the detriment of other shippers,
etc.
MANIFEST - A document containing a
full list of the ship's cargo,
extracted from the bills of lading.
MANNING SCALES - The minimum number
of officers and crew members that
can be engaged on a ship to be
considered as sufficient hands with
practical ability to meet every
possible eventuality at sea.
DECK DEPARTMENT
LICENSED
MASTER (CAPTAIN) - Highest officer
aboard ship. Oversees all ship
operations. Keeps ships records.
Handles accounting and bookkeeping.
Takes command of vessel in inclement
weather and in crowded or narrow
waters. Handles communications.
Receives and implements instructions
from home office.
FIRST MATE (CHIEF MATE) - In charge
of four to eight watch. Directly
responsible for all deck operations
(cargo storage and handling, deck
maintenance deck supplies). Assigns
and checks deck department overtime.
Ship's medical officer.
SECOND MATE - In charge of twelve to
four watch. Ship's navigation
officer. Keeps charts (maps) up to
date and monitors navigation
equipment on bridge.
THIRD MATE - In charge of eight to
twelve watch. Makes sure emergency
survival equipment (lifeboats, life
rings, etc.) are in order. Assists
other officers as directed.
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
LICENSED
CHIEF ENGINEER - Head of engineer
department. Keeps records of all
engine parts and repairs. Generally
tends to the functioning of all
mechanical equipment on ship.
Calculates fuel and water
consumption and requirements.
Coordinates operations with
shoreside port engineer.
FIRST ASSISTANT ENGINEER - In charge
of four to eight watch. Usually
works from eight to four handling
engine maintenance. Assigns duties
to unlicensed personnel and monitors
and records overtime. Consults with
Chief regarding work priorities.
SECOND ASSISTANT ENGINEER - In
charge of twelve to four watch. On
steam vessels has responsibility for
the boilers, on diesels, the
evaporators and the auxiliary
equipment.
THIRD ASSISTANT ENGINEER - In charge
of eight to twelve watch. Maintains
lighting fixtures. Repairs
malfunctioning accessories in living
quarters. Assist other engineers as
directed.
DECK DEPARTMENT
UNLICENSED
BOATSWAIN (BOSUN) - Receives working
orders for deck gang from chief mate
and passes them onto AB's and
ordinaries. Tantamount to foreman,
he is on deck directly supervising
maintenance operations.
SHIPS CHAIRMAN (SHOP STEWARD) - In
charge of union business for
unlicensed personnel. Handles
grievances.
ABLE SEAMEN (AB) - Stands watch,
during which he steers the vessel,
stands lookout, assisst the mate on
watch and makes rounds of the ship
to insure that all is in order. Also
ties up and unties the vessel to and
from the dock and maintains the
equipment on deck.
ORDINARY SEAMAN (OS) - An apprentice
AB, assists AB's bosun, and
officers, keeps facilities clean.
ENGINE DEPARTMENT
UNLICENSED
PUMPMAN AND ELECTRICIAN - QUALIFIED
MEMBERS OF THE
ENGINE DEPARTMENT (Q.M.E.D.) -
Trained in all crafts necessary to
engine maintenance (welding,
refrigeration, lathe operation, die
casting, electricity, pumping, water
purification, oiling, evaluating
engine gauges, etc.) Usually
watchstanders but on some ships, day
workers.
PUMPMAN (TANKERS) - Operates pumps
and discharges petroleum products.
Maintains and repairs all cargo
handling equipment.
EQUIPMENT (LINERS) - Maintains and
repairs cargo handling equipment and
also cargo with special handling
characteristics.
STEWARD ASSISTANT - Clean galley and
mess halls, set tables, prepare
salads, clean living quarters.
RADIO DEPARTMENT
RADIO OPERATOR - Maintains and
monitors radio, sends and receives
messages. Often maintains electronic
navigation equipment.
MARINE INSURANCE - Broadly,
insurance covering loss or damage of
goods at sea. Marine insurance
typically compensates the owner of
merchandise for losses sustained
from fire, shipwreck, etc., but
excludes losses that can be
recovered from the carrier.
MARITIME - Business pertaining to
commerce or navigation transacted
upon the sea or in seaports in such
matters as the court of admiralty
has jurisdiction.
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION (MarAd ) -
Oversees subsidy programs to the
United States Merchant Marine.
Assigns routes to subsidized liners.
MARPOL 73/78 - The International
Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships, 1973, as
modified by the Protocol of 1978.
MASTHEAD LIGHT - A white light
positioned over the fore and aft
centerline of the vessel.
MCTF - Maritime Cabotage Task Force.
MEBA - Marine Engineers Beneficial
Association.
MEPC - Marine Environment Protection
Committee, a major committee within
the International Maritime
Organization.
MERPAC - Merchant Marine Personnel
Advisory Committee, an industry
advisory body to the U.S. Coast
Guard.
MIB - Marine Index Bureau.
MFN - Most Favored Nation.
MICROBRIDGE - A system of through
rates and service offered by a
carrier for cargo shipments from any
inland U.S. location to a port by
sea, to a foreign port, and finally
overland to foreign inland
destination.
MINILAND BRIDGE - The process of
taking inland cargo bound for export
to the coast by rail and loading it
directly to the ship.
MIRAID - Maritime Institute for
Research and Industrial Development.
MIXED SHIPMENT - A shipment
consisting of more than one
commodity, articles described under
more than one class or commodity
rate item in a tariff.
MM&P - Master, Mates and Pilots
Union.
MODU - Mobile Offshore Drilling
Unit.
MOORING LINE - A cable or line to
tie up a ship.
MSB - Maritime Subsidy Board.
MSC - Maritime Safety Committee, a
major committee within the
International Maritime Organization.
MSC - Military Sealift Command, U.S.
Department of the Navy.
MSP - Maritime Security Program,
established by the Maritime Security
Act of 1996, is designed to maintain
a nucleus fleet of militarily useful
U.S.-flag vessels.
M/T - Metric tons (2,250 lbs.).
MTC - Maritime Transport Committee,
OECD
MTD - Maritime Trades Department,
AFL-CIO.
MTMC - Military Traffic Management
Command, U.S. Department of the
Army.
MULTIPURPOSE SHIP - Any ship capable
of carrying different types of cargo
which require different methods of
handling. There are several types of
ships falling into this category,
for example, ships which can carry
roll on/roll off cargo together with
containers.
NATIONAL CARGO BUREAU - A private
organization having representatives
throughout the main harbors in the
U.S. It is empowered to inspect
cargoes of a hazardous nature and
issue certificates which are
automatically approved by the Coast
Guard.
NATIONAL FLAG - The flag carried by
a ship to show her nationality.
NAUTICAL MILE - Distance of one
minute of longitude at the equator,
approximately 6,076.115 feet. The
metric equivalent is 1852 meters.
NAVSAC - Navigation Safety Advisory
Council, an industry advisory body
to the U.S. Coast Guard.
NDRF - National Defense Reserve
Fleet.
NEOBULK - Shipments consisting
entirely of units of a single
commodity, such as cars, lumber, or
scrap metal.
NET CAPACITY - The number of tons of
cargo which a vessel can carry when
loaded in salt water to her summer
freeboard marks. Also called cargo
carrying capacity, cargo deadweight,
useful deadweight.
NET TONNAGE - Equals gross tonnage
minus deductions for space occupied
by crew accommodations, machinery,
navigation equipment and bunkers. It
represents space available for cargo
(and passengers). Canal tolls are
based on net (registered) tonnage.
NISA - National Invasive Species Act
of 1996.
NITL - National Industrial
Transportation League.
NMU - National Maritime Union.
NON-CONFERENCE LINE - A shipping
line which operates on a route
served by a liner conference but
which is not a member of that
conference.
NONCONTIGUOUS - Domestic shipping
routes serving Alaska and
non-continental U.S. States and
territories.
NORSKE VERITAS - Norwegian
classification society.
NRT - Net registered tons. This
tonnage is frequently shown on ship
registration papers; it represents
the volumetric area available for
cargo at 100 cubic feet = 1 ton. It
often is used by port and canal
authorities as a basis for charges.
NVOCC - Non-vessel-operating common
carrier, a ships agent, conducts
business for the ship but does not
operate the vessel.
OBO SHIP - A multipurpose ship that
can carry ore, heavy dry bulk goods
and oil. Although more expensive to
build, they ultimately are more
economical because they can make
return journeys with cargo rather
than empty as single-purpose ships
often must.
OCEAN WAYBILL - A document, issued
by a shipping line to a shipper
which serves as a receipt for the
goods and evidence of the contract
carriage.
OCMI - Officer in Charge of Marine
Inspection.
ODS - Operating-Differential
Subsidy: Established by the Merchant
Marine Act of 1936, it was a direct
subsidy paid to U.S.-flag operators
to offset the high operating cost of
U.S.-flag ships when compared to
foreign-flag counterparts. Contracts
between U.S.-flag vessel operators
and the Maritime Administration have
expired. The ODS program has been
replaced by the Maritime Security
Program.
OECD - Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. The
Maritime Transport Committee is part
of this organization.
OFF-HIRE CLAUSE - In a time charter,
the owner is entitled to a limited
time for his vessel to be off hire
until such time as the vessel may be
repaired or dry-docked.
OFFICER - Any of the licensed
members of the ship's complement.
OFF-LOAD - Discharge of cargo from a
ship.
OILER - An unlicensed member of the
engine room staff who oils and
greases bearings and moving parts of
the main engine and auxiliaries.
Most of this work is now done
automatically and the oiler merely
insures it operates correctly.
OIL RECORD BOOK - A book or log kept
by the master of an oil tanker
wherein every discharge or escape of
oil is recorded.
OIL TANKER - A ship designed for the
carriage of oil in bulk, her cargo
space consisting of several or many
tanks. Tankers load their cargo by
gravity from the shore or by shore
pumps and discharge using their own
pumps.
OMB - Office of Management and
Budget.
OPA - Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
OPEN RATES - Pricing systems that
are flexible and not subject to
conference approval. Usually applied
to products in which tramps are
substituted for liners.
OPEN REGISTRY - A term used in place
of "flag of convenience" or "flag of
necessity" to denote registry in a
country which offers favorable tax,
regulatory, and other incentives to
ship owners from other nations.
OPEN TOP CONTAINER - A container
fitted with a solid removable roof,
or with a tarpaulin roof so the
container can be loaded or unloaded
from the top.
ORDINARY SEAMAN - A deck crewmember
who is subordinate to the Able
Bodied Seaman.
ORE CARRIER - A large ship designed
to be used for the carnage of ore.
Because of the high density of ore,
ore carriers have a relatively high
center of gravity to prevent them
being still when at sea, that is,
rolling heavily with possible stress
to the hull.
ORE-BULK-OIL CARRIER - A large
multi-purpose ship designed to carry
cargoes wither of ore or other bulk
commodities or oil so as to reduce
the time the ship would be in
ballast if restricted to one type of
commodity. This type of ship is
sometimes called bulk-oil carrier.
ORE-OIL CARRIER - A ship designed to
carry either ore or oil in bulk.
OVERTONNAGING - A situation where
there are too many ships generally
or in a particular trade for the
level of available cargoes.
P&I -Protection and Indemnity, an
insurance term.
PALLET - A flat tray, generally made
of wood but occasionally of steel,
on which goods particularly those in
boxes, cartons or bags, can be
stacked. Its purpose is to
facilitate the movement of such
goods, mainly by the use of forklift
trucks.
PANAMAX - A vessel designed to be
just small enough to transit the
Panama Canal.
PARTIAL CONTAINERSHIPS -
Multipurpose containerships where
one or more but not all compartments
are fitted with permanent container
cells. Remaining compartments are
used for other types of cargo.
PASSENGER SHIP - A passenger ship
that its authorized to carry over
twelve passengers.
PER CONTAINER RATE - Rates and/or
changes on shipments transported in
containers or trailers and rated on
the basis of the category of the
container or trailer.
PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE -
Approved floats meant as life
preservers and carried on board
American ships.
PILOT - A person who is qualified to
assist the master of a ship to
navigate when entering or leaving a
port.
PILOTAGE - The act carried out by a
pilot of assisting the master of a
ship in navigation when entering or
leaving a port. Sometimes used to
define the fee payable for the
services of a pilot.
PILOTAGE DUES - A fee payable by the
owner or operator of a ship for the
services of a pilot. This fee is
normally based on the ship's
tonnage.
PILOT HOUSE - The enclosed space on
the navigating bridge from which a
ship is controlled when under way.
P.L. 480 - Agricultural Trade
Development and Assistance Act of
1954.
P.L. 664 - Mandates that 50 percent
of government impelled cargoes be
carried under U.S. flag.
PLIMSOLL MARK - A series of
horizontal lines, corresponding to
the seasons of the year in fresh or
saltwater, painted on the outside of
a ship marking the level which must
remain above the surface of the
water for the vessel's stability.
PMA - Pacific Maritime Association.
POL - Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants.
POOLING - The sharing of cargo or
the profit or loss from freight by
member lines of a liner conference.
Pooling arrangements do not exist in
all conferences.
PORT OF CALL - Port where a ship
discharges or receives traffic.
PORT STATE CONTROL - The inspection
of foreign ships in national ports
for the purpose of verifying that
the condition of a ship and its
equipment comply with the
requirements of international
conventions and that the vessel is
manned and operated in compliance
with applicable international law.
PR 17 - Public Resolution which
requires that U.S. Government
financed cargoes (Eximbank) must be
shipped 100 percent in U.S. flag
ships, but that the requirement may
be waived up to 50 percent in some
cases.
PRODUCT CARRIER - A tanker, which is
generally below 70,000 deadweight
tons and used to carry refined oil
products from the refinery to the
consumer. In many cases, four
different grades of oil can be
handled simultaneously.
PROPANE CARRIER - A ship designed to
carry propane in liquid form. The
propane is carried in tanks within
the holds; it remains in liquid form
by means of pressure and
refrigeration. Such ships are also
suitable for the carriage of butane.
PUMPMAN - A rating who tends to the
pumps of an oil tanker.
PURSER - A ship's officer who is in
charge of accounts, especially on a
passenger ship.
PVSA - Passenger Vessel Services
Act.
QUALIFIED MEMBER OF THE ENGINE
DEPARTMENT(QMED) - Unlicensed
members of the engine department who
attend to a fully automated engine
room.
OUARTERMASTER/HELMSMAN - An
able-bodied seamen entrusted with
the steering of a vessel.
QUARTERS - Accommodations.
QUAY - A structure attached to land
to which a vessel is moored.
RADIO OPERATOR - An officer who
operates and controls the shipboard
communication equipment.
REEFER - Refrigerator ship: A vessel
designed to carry goods requiring
refrigeration, such as meat and
fruit. A reefer ship has insulated
holds into which cold air is passed
at the temperature appropriate to
the goods being carried.
REEFER BOX - An insulated shipping
container designed to carry cargoes
requiring temperature control. It is
fitted with a refrigeration unit
which is connected to the carrying
ship's electrical power supply.
RELAY - To transfer containers from
one ship to another when both
vessels are controlled by the same
network (carrier) manager.
RETURN CARGO - A cargo which enables
a ship to return loaded to the port
or area where her previous cargo was
loaded.
REVENUE TON - A ton on which the
shipment is freighted.
ROLLING CARGO - Cargo which is on
wheels, such as truck or trailers,
and which can be driven or towed on
to a ship.
RO/RO SHIP - Freight ship or ferry
with facilities for vehicles to
drive on and off (roll-on roll-off);
a system of loading and discharging
a ship whereby the cargo is driven
on and off on ramps. Equipped with
large openings at bow and stern and
sometimes also in the side, the ship
permits rapid loading and discharge
with hydraulically operated ramps
providing easy access. Fully loaded
trucks or trailers carrying
containers are accommodated on the
deck.
ROU - Radio Officers' Union.
RRF - Ready Reserve Force.
SALVAGE - The property which has
been recovered from a wrecked
vessel, or the recovery of the
vessel herself.
SEABEE - Sea-barge, a barge carrier
design similar to "LASH" but which
uses rollers to move the barges
aboard the ship; the self-propelled
loaded barges are themselves loaded
on board as cargo and are
considerably larger than those
loaded on LASH ships.
SEA TRIALS - A series of trials
conducted by the builders during
which the owner's representatives on
board act in a consulting and
checking capacity to determine if
the vessel has met the
specifications.
SEAWORTHINESS - The sufficiency of a
vessel in materials construction,
equipment, crew and outfit for the
trade in which it is employed. Any
sort of disrepair to the vessel by
which the cargo may suffer --
overloading, untrained officers,
etc., may constitute a vessel
unseaworthy.
SEAWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE - A
certificate issued by a
classification society surveyor to
allow a vessel to proceed after she
has met with a mishap that may have
affected its seaworthiness. It is
frequently issued to enable a vessel
to proceed, after temporary repairs
have been effected, to another port
where permanent repairs are then
carried out.
SELF-PROPELLED BARGE - A barge which
has its own engine.
SELF-SUSTAINING SHIP - A
containership which has her own
crane for loading and discharging
shipping containers enabling the
ship to serve ports which do not
have suitable lifting equipment.
SELF-TRIMMING SHIP - A ship whose
holds are shaped in such a way that
the cargo levels itself.
SELF-UNLOADER - A bulk carrier which
is equipped with gear for unloading
cargo.
SERVICE CONTRACT - As provided in
the Shipping Act of 1984, a contract
between a shipper (or a shipper's
association) and an ocean common
carrier (or conference) in which the
shipper makes a commitment to
provide a certain minimum quantity
of cargo or freight revenue over a
fixed time period, and the ocean
common carrier or conference commits
to a certain rate or rate schedule
as well as a defined service level
(such as assured space, transit
time, port rotation or similar
service features). The contract may
also specify provisions in the event
of nonperformance on the part of
either party.
SHIFTING - This refers to movements
or changing positions of cargo from
one place to another. This can
easily endanger the seaworthiness or
cargoworthiness of the ship.
SHIP CHANDLER - An individual or
company selling equipment and
supplies for ships.
SHIP DEMURRAGE - A charge for
delaying a steamer beyond a
stipulated period.
SHIP'S MANIFEST - A statement
listing the particulars of all
shipments loaded for a specified
voyage.
SHIP'S TACKLE - All rigging, cranes,
etc., utilized on a ship to load or
unload cargo.
SHIPPERS - Individuals or businesses
who purchase transportation services
for their goods or commodities.
SHIPPER'S ASSOCIATION - A non-profit
entity that represents the interests
of a number of shippers. The main
focus of shippers associations is to
pool the cargo volumes of members to
leverage the most favorable service
contract rate levels.
SHIPPER'S COUNCIL - An organization
of shippers formed to collectively
negotiate rates and services with
the conferences of ship operators.
SHIPPING ACT OF 1916 - The act of
the U.S. Congress (1916) that
created the U.S. Shipping Board to
develop water transportation,
operate the merchant ships owned by
the government, and regulate the
water carriers engaged in commerce
under the flag of the United States.
As of June 18, 1984, applies only to
domestic offshore ocean transport.
SHIPPING ACT OF 1984 - Effective
June 18, 1984, describes the law
covering water transportation in the
U.S. foreign trade.
SHIPPING ACT OF 1998 - Amends the
Act of 1984 to provide for
confidential service contracts and
other items.
SHIP'S AGENT - A person or firm who
transacts all business in a port on
behalf of shipowners or charterers.
Also called shipping agent.
SHIP'S ARTICLES - A written
agreement between the master of a
ship and the crew concerning their
employment. It includes rates of pay
and capacity of each crewman, the
date of commencement of the voyage
and its duration.
SHIP'S STABILITY - The seaworthiness
of a ship regarding the centrifugal
force which enables her to remain
upright.
SHORT TON - 2,000 pounds.
SIP - Streamlined Inspection
Program.
SISTER SHIPS - Ships built on the
same design.
SIU - Seafarers International Union.
SLIP - A vessel's berth between two
piers.
SLOP TANK - A tank in a tanker into
which slops are pumped. These
represent a residue of the ship's
cargo of oil together with the water
used to clean the cargo tanks. They
are left to separate out in the slop
tank.
SOFT CURRENCY - Currency which is
not fully convertible to all
currencies but only to some other
soft currencies.
SOLAS - Safety of Life a Sea
Convention
SPOT (VOYAGE) - A charter for a
particular vessel to move a single
cargo between specified loading
port(s) and discharge port(s) in the
immediate future. Contract rate
("spot" rate) covers total operating
expenses, i.e., bunkers, port
charges, canal tolls, crew's wages
and food, insurance and repairs.
Cargo owner absorbs, in addition,
any expenses specifically levied
against the cargo.
S.S. - Steamship.
S/T - Short tons (2,000 lbs.).
STACK CAR - An articulated
five-platform rail car that allows
containers to be double stacked. A
typical stack car holds ten 40-foot
equivalent units (FEU's).
STARBOARD - The right-hand side of a
ship when facing the front or
forward end. The starboard side of a
ship during darkness is indicated by
a green light.
STATION BILL - A list which shows
the vessel's complement and details
their various duties in connection
with fire and boat drills.
STB - Surface Transportation Board,
an independent adjudicatory body
administratively housed in the
Department of Transportation
responsible for the economic
regulation of interstate surface
transportation, primarily railroads.
STCW - International Convention on
Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers,
1978.
STERN - The upright post or bar of
the bow of a vessel.
STERNWAY - The reverse movement of a
vessel.
STEVEDORE - Individual or firm that
employs longshoremen and who
contracts to load or unload the
ship.
STORE - A general term for
provisions, materials and supplies
used aboard ship for the maintenance
of the crew, and for the navigation,
propulsion and upkeep of the vessel
and its equipment.
STOWAGE - The placing of goods in a
ship in such a way as to ensure the
safety and stability of the ship not
only on a sea or ocean passage but
also in between ports when parts of
the cargo have been loaded or
discharged.
STRANDING - The running of a ship on
shore on a beach.
STRIPPING - Removing cargo from a
container (devanning).
STUFFING - Putting cargo into a
container.
TAIL SHAFT - The extreme section at
the aft end of a ship's propeller
shaft.
TANK BARGE - A river barge designed
for the carriage of liquid bulk
cargoes.
TANK CLEANING - Removal of all
traces of a cargo from the tanks of
a tanker normally by means of high
pressure water jets.
TANKER - A tanker is a bulk carrier
designed to transport liquid cargo,
most often petroleum products. Oil
tankers vary in size from small
coastal vessels of 1,500 tons
deadweight, through medium-sized
ship of 60,000 tons, to the giant
VLCCs (very large crude carriers).
TENDER - The offer of goods for
transportation.
TERRITORIAL WATERS - That portion of
the sea up to a limited instance
which is immediately adjacent to the
shores of any country and over which
the sovereignty and exclusive
jurisdiction of that country extend.
T.E.U. - Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit
(containers): A measurement of
cargo-carrying capacity on a
containership, referring to a common
container size of 20 ft in length.
TI - Transportation Institute.
TIME CHARTER - A form of charter
party wherein owner lets or leases
his vessel and crew to the charterer
for a stipulated period of time. The
charterer pays for the bunkers and
port charges in addition to the
charter hire.
TITLE XI - A ship financing
guarantee program.
TON MILE - A measurement used in the
economics of transportation to
designate one ton being moved one
mile. This is useful to the shipper
because it includes the distance to
move a commodity in the calculation.
TONNAGE - Deadweight, gross, net,
displacement; a quantity of cargo
normally expressed as a number of
tons.
TOP-OFF - To fill a ship which is
already partly loaded with cargo.
TOW - When one or more vessels are
being towed; when a tug is towing
one or more floating objects; to
pull an object in the water by means
of a rope.
TOWAGE - Charges for the services of
tugs assisting a ship or other
vessels in ports or other locations;
the act of towing a ship or other
objects from one place to another.
TRAMP SERVICE - Vessels operating
without a fixed itinerary or
schedule or charter contract.
TRANSSHIP - To transfer goods from
one transportation line to another,
or from one ship to another.
TRIM - The relationship between a
ship's draughts forward and aft.
TSA - Transportation Security
Administration.
TSAC - Towing Safety Advisory
Committee, an industry advisory body
to the U.S. Coast Guard.
TUG - A small vessel designed to tow
or push large ships or barges. Tugs
have powerful diesel engines and are
essential to docks and ports to
maneuver large ships into their
berths. Pusher tugs are also used to
push enormous trains of barges on
the rivers and inland waterways of
the U.S. Oceangoing salvage tugs
provide assistance to ships in
distress and engage in such work as
towing drilling rigs and oil
production platforms.
ULCC - Ultra Large Crude Carriers.
Tankers larger than 300,000 dwt.
UNCTAD - United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development
UNMANNED MACHINERY SPACES - A space
where alarm bells are installed on
the bridge of a ship to trace or
rectify any machinery faults. The
computerized devices will report any
fault immediately when it appears
and the engineers on board can
attend to the necessary
ramifications.
UNSEAWORTHINESS - The state or
condition of a vessel when it is not
in a proper state of maintenance, or
if the loading equipment or crew, or
in any other respect is not ready to
encounter the ordinary perils of
sea.
USCG - United States Coast Guard.
U.S. EFFECTIVE CONTROLLED FLEET -
That fleet of merchant ships owned
by United States citizens or
corporations and registered under
flags of "convenience" or
"necessity" such as Liberia or
Panama. The term is used to
emphasize that, while the fleet is
not U.,$.-flag, it is effectively
under U.S. control by virtue of the
ship's owners and can be called to
serve U.S. interests in time of
emergency.
USTRANSCOM - United States
Transportation Command, U.S.
Department of Defense.
VESSEL MANIFEST - The international
carrier is obligated to make
declarations of the ship's crew and
contents at both the port of
departure and arrival. The vessel
manifest lists various details about
each shipment by B/L number.
Obviously, the B/L serves as the
core source from which the manifest
is created.
VISA - Voluntary Intermodal Sealift
Agreement.
VLCC - Very Large Crude Carriers:
Tankers between 200,000 and 300,000
dwt.
VOYAGE CHARTER - A contract whereby
the shipowner places the vessel at
the disposal of the charterer for
one or more voyages, the shipowner
being responsible for the operation
of the vessel.
WAR RISK - Insurance coverage for
loss of goods resulting from any act
of war.
WATCH - The day at sea is divided
into six four hour periods. Three
groups of watchstanders are on duty
for four hours and then off for
eight, then back to duty. Seamen
often work overtime during their off
time.
WHARFAGE - Charge assessed by a pier
or dock owner against freight
handled over the pier or dock or
against a steamship company using
the pier or dock.
WORLDSCALE - An index representing
the cost of time chartering a tanker
for a specific voyage at a given
time. The index is given at
Worldscale 100, which represents the
price in dollars per ton for
carrying the oil at that rate. The
negotiated rate will be some
percentage of the index value.