Dictionary Marine

m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

A Term

Definition

abaft

aft of something or towards the stern of a ship

abandon ship

vacate a ship when there is a danger of ship sinking, capsizing or stranding, i.e. when destruction of the ship or threat to life is imminent

abeam

on the side of a ship which is perpendicular to the ship's fore and aft line

able seaman

a senior and experienced seaman in deck department who assists the officer on watch, steers the ship and keeps gangway watch; one grade higher than the beginning grade of ordinary seaman; AB for short; AB was used apparently instead of AS to avoid confusion with OS which stands for ordinary seaman

aboard

on board; in or on a ship

abreast

side by side; abeam of

absolute humidity

amount of water vapour or moisture contained in one unit of air

absolute pressure

total force per unit area exerted by a fluid and is given by the sum of gauge pressure and atmospheric pressure

acceleration

change in the velocity of a body with respect to time and may be expressed in m/s

accelerometer

1. a device for converting mechanical motion into an electrical signal which is proportional to the acceleration value of the motion e.g. a transducer

2

2. instrument for measuring and indicating acceleration accommodation

spaces in ship used for mess rooms, sleeping rooms, lavatories and recreation

accommodation ladder

a retractable ladder with collapsible handrails for safe access to and from ship; hinged to a platform attached to ship's sides, usually available at port and starboard sides

accumulator

1. an electric storage cell or battery; 2. container for storing liquid and gases at constant pressure, serving as a reservoir

Act of God

the cause attributed to a casualty when the casualty occurs without human contribution and which could not be foreseen or averted by reasonable precautionary measures

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary actual total loss

the loss of a ship or goods when it is completely destroyed by a peril insured against, or so damaged that it ceases to be the thing insured; sometimes known as absolute total loss compare constructive total loss

ad valorem freight

freight calculated as a percentage of the value of the goods

addressable

of alarm, signal that can be identified and individually displayed on an alarm panel or monitoring system, e.g. fire detector activated within a specific room; opposite to general alarm within the same context

adiabatic

change of volume and pressure of a gas in which there is no heat gained or lost by the gas

adrift

not fastened to anything and float freely

advance

one of the parameters for measuring the turning performance of a ship, it is the distance travelled from the instant the rudder is put over to the point at which she is on her new course; measured along a line parallel to the original direction of motion

advance freight

freight that is paid in advance when the cargo is loaded on board rather than at the end of the destination; the proportion of freight payable is mutually agreed beforehand in the charterparty

adventure

in marine insurance, is any undetaking or voyage or duration that exposes the property to maritime perils

affreightment

chartering or hiring of a ship to carry cargo

afloat

floating on water

Aframax

any tanker with deadweight between 76,000 and 116,000 tons

aft

behind the ship; near or around the stern or towards the stern of the ship opposite of fore

after perpendicular

represented by a vertical line at the intersection of the designed load waterline and the after side of the rudder post, or the centreline of the rudder stock where there is no rudder post; AP for short

aftpeak

the enclosed space immediately forward of the sternpost and aft of the aftermost watertight bulkhead; usually used as ballast or fresh water tank; also known as afterpeak compare forepeak

agent

one who acts for another, as in a shipping agent who serves the shipowners in a foreign port by looking after the ship's interests; some of the duties include arranging for pilotage, crew change, etc.; also known as port agent or ship's agent

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary aggregate

material such as sand or crushed stone that is mixed with cement and water to make concrete

agribulk

human and animal foodstuffs in very large quantities for storage and/or distribution

aground

of a ship resting on the ground in shallow water

ahoy

a call made to attract attention by mariners

air compressor

compressor to provide compressed air for general use, control air system and diesel engine's starting air system

air conditioning

treatment of air to desired temperature, humidity and cleanliness; this is achieved by a system of filtering, humidity control, heating or cooling based on the ambient conditions

air cooler

heat exchanger used to cool down the charging air coming from turbocharger before being admitted into diesel engine for combustion

air draught

the vertical distance measured from the ship's waterline to the highest point on the ship; usually comes into consideration when the ship has to sail under overhead bridges in the river compare draught

air-cushion vehicle

a ship which uses air cushion created by powerful fans to lift and support its full weight allowing it to reduce the hull resistance when moving through water; an example is hovercraft; ACV for short

Aldis

a powerful daylight signalling lamp

all fast

indicates the completion of mooring operations when the vessel has been safely moored to berth

all hands

all crew members

all purposes laytime

laytime in which one combined time is specified for both loading and discharging compare average laytime

allision

striking of a moving vessel against a stationary vessel that is at anchor, aground, etc. or fixed object such as piers, wharves, etc. compare collision

alongside

close to the side of a ship, wharf or jetty

alternating current

electric current that reverses its direction or polarity at regularly recurring intervals or uniform frequency; AC for short

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary alternator

mechanical machine that produces alternating current when driven by a prime mover; it has two major parts - the rotating part called rotor consists of pairs of magnetic poles, and a stationary part called stator consists of fixed coils of wire; also known as AC generator

amidships

in or near the middle of a ship, whether longitudinally or transversely

ammeter

an instrument for measuring the electric current in ampere

ampere

the unit for measuring electric current; also known as amp

anchor

a device which is attached to anchor chain at one end and lowered into the sea bed to hold a ship in position; it is designed to grip the bottom when it is dragged by the ship trying to float away under the influence of wind and current; usually made of heavy casting or casting

anchor-handling

a series of operations to deploy and retrieve the anchors for oil rigs or offshore floating platforms at a distance

anchorage

a place suitable for ships to anchor

anemometer

an instrument for measuring the wind velocity or wind force

angle of attack

angle formed by the intersection of the fluid flow direction towards a foil with a straight line drawn from the foil's leading edge to its trailing edge

angle of list

angle of heel where centre of gravity, G is transversely offset from the ship's centreline and transverse metacentric height, GM is positive

angle of loll

angle to which a ship with initial negative metacentric height will lie at rest in still water, i.e. where the righting lever is zero; it is the new angle which the ship will now oscillate about instead of her normal upright position

angle of repose

angle created by a shift of grain

annealing

a heat treatment process which serves to soften and relieve internal stresses; the metal is first heated to a certain temperature and allowed to cool down slowly to achieve the desired effect

anode

an electrode having a positive charge opposite of cathode

anodising

process of producing a thicker natural oxide film on the surface of aluminium; also known as anodic oxidation

anti-foam agent

additive used to minimise the foaming tendency of petroleum products

anti-fouling

describes a desirable paint quality that prevents the growth of marine organisms such as barnacles in the underwater portion of a ship's hull

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary anti-oxidant

a type of chemical additive which is used to dissolve oxidation products formed in fuel oil

anti-wear agent

additives used to form thin and continuous films on heavily loaded parts to prevent metal-to-metal contact

apogee

the furthest point in the orbit of moon, planet or another object in space from earth

appendages

any part of a ship that protrudes out of the main hull form such as rudder, bilge keels, etc.

aromatics

one group of hydrocarbons with benzene as parent; their derivatives tend to have sweet or aromatic odours

arrastre

term widely use in the Philippines to refer to labor use on the wharf as in "Arrastre & Stevedoring"

arrived ship

a ship is considered arrived and the laytime can commence when certain conditions specified in the charterparty are fulfilled, e.g. reach the designated position for loading or discharging, vessel is ready in all respects for cargo operation and notice of readiness properly given

ASBA II

the codename given to a standard form voyage charterparty published by The Association of Shipbrokers and Agents (ASBA) for tankers in 1984; originally known as ASBATANKVOY

asbestos

fibrous amphibole; used for making fireproof articles in the past such as insulation material on piping, ceiling board, etc.; inhaling fibres can cause asbestosis or lung cancer which made the it a banned material

ash

a powdery residue formed after combustion by the burning of some additives especially the conventional detergent type

ash modifier

chemical additive used to reduce the effect of ash or impurities such as vanadium, suplhur and sodium in post-combustion conditions

ashore

on shore; on the land

aspect ratio

the ratio of height to average width of a foil or sail

asphaltenes

hard and brittle particles of asphalt which are highly aromatic and combustible

assured

one who insures a property against loss

astern

behind; in the after portion of a ship

athwart

across; from side to side; transversely

athwartship

across a ship transversely; at right angle to the fore and aft centreline

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Auto-ignition

the ignition of a combustible material when its temperature has been raised to a point at which self-sustained conbustion occurs; no spark or flame is necessary to initiate the ignition; also known as self-ignition

Automatic Identification System

AIS for Ship is an electronic ship identification system for ship to ship collision avoidance, provides information and status of ships and their cargo onboard to other ships or shore parties and vessel traffic system in ports. The AIS can be integrated to ship navigational equipment onboard, e.g. radar or electronic charts system to indicate the ships in vicinity. The system also transmits information to the shore, a Ship to Shore information. This is extremely useful for Vessel Traffic Systems (VTS), guiding the ship in congested areas, but equally important for the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC) in giving actual updated information on all ships participating in a rescue action. Compiled information from larger areas can give the authorities basic data for planning of fairways and routing systems. The information provided by AIS consists of the information sent between the ships and to and from the shore which comes in four categories: 1. Static information: ships standard details for identification purpose, e.g. the MMSI number, IMO number, call sign and name, length and beam, position for GNSS antenna, type of ship 2. Dynamic information: updated continuously at a rate varying from two seconds to three minutes depending upon traffic situation, e.g. position, time, speed, course over ground, heading, navigational status and rate of turn. The faster the ship runs, the more it has to update its position 3. Voyage related information: ships actual draft and cargo type e.g. dangerous cargo (DG), destination and estimated time of arrival (ETA) 4. Safety related information: short messages on weather conditions and navigational warnings transmitted from shore to ship

automation

automatic control systems, without need of human intervention

autopilot

a device used for automatically steering a ship

auxiliary boiler

a boiler for raising steam to work the auxiliary machinery

auxiliary engine

engine other than for propulsion purpose; usually refers to electrical power generating diesel engine

auxiliary machinery

all machinery other than that needed for main propulsion

average

in marine insurance, it means a partial loss; in the event of a claim, there are two types of average namely general average and particular average

average adjuster

one with in-depth knowledge of maritime insurance law, and who calculates and adjusts the loss and expenditure between the interested parties in a general average claim

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary average laytime

laytime in which loading and discharging times are calculated separately and any time saved in one operation is allowed to offset the additional time used in the other compare reversible laytime

awash

washed over by water; at or slightly below the water level

aweigh

describes an anchor which has been lifted off the sea bottom and has its weight fully taken by the anchor chains

awning

a canvas covering spread over a ship's deck to protect from the weather

awning deck

a lightly constructed deck erected above upper deck or main deck to provide shelter against the sun and rain

azimuthing

of propulsion unit, refers to a steerable propeller which can exert 360 degrees thrust

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

B Term

Definition

back freight

charges over and above the normal freight for cargo returned due to shipping errors of either the consignee or consignor

back haul

a route deviation to move cargo on the return leg of a voyage in order to minimise ballast leg and cut down transportation costs

backstay

stay or rope that is secured abaft of the mast to support the latter from bending forward

backup plate

plate used behind a welded joint to prevent burning through during welding

backwind

the wind which is deflected from a sail ahead onto the sail abaft it

balanced rudder

a rudder in which the turning stock is not on the leading edge, but close to the rudder's centre of pressure; about one-quarter abaft of the leading edge; since the center of pressure shifts as the rudder is turned, no rudder can be fully balanced for all rudder angles; hence a rudder is considered balanced when it can maintain so for about 15 degrees

bale capacity

the cubic capacity of a cargo hold measured from the inside of of the cargo battens, frames, bulkhead stiffeners or spar ceilings, i.e. the spaces between the frames are not filled; the bale capacity is generally less than the hold's grain capacity; sometimes known as bale cubic

ballast

any weight in solid or liquid form taken on a ship to increase draught, to change trim, or to improve the stability; use of sea water is common

ballast bonus

money payable by time charterer to shipowner at the end of the charter period to compensate for the ballast trip taken from the port of redelivery of the ship to the next port of loading; BB for short

ballast leg

that part of a ship's voyage during which she is not carrying any cargo and sailing in ballast

ballast tank

a watertight compartment used for carrying ballast

ballast voyage

generally refers to a ship sailing to a load port without carrying any cargo

ballasting

act of taking in ballast; usually refers to pumping in of sea water into the ship's ballast tanks

Baltic Exchange

name given to the shipping market where shipbrokers meet to charter ships; located in London, it was founded some 250 years ago

Baltic Freight Index

a statistical index generated daily by calculating the weighted average of the actual fixtures on twelve frequently fixed routes; BFI for short

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary bar

sand or silt forming a bank across the mouth of a river or harbour entrance; this build-up reduces the water depth and limits the draught of a ship which can cross it

bar draught

maximum draught which a ship can take to pass over a bar or sand bank

bareboat charter

a type of charter in which the shipowner provides only the ship and gives the charterer complete control, management and operation of the vessel for an agreed leasing period; the charterer has to appoint the crew and pay all operating costs including stores and bunkers; also known as demise charter

barge

a large boat with a flat bottom, used for carrying of goods on rivers, canals, shallow waters, etc.

barnacle

a shelllike marine animal which attaches itself to the underwater portion of a ship's hull; this increases water resistance and thus reduces ship's speed

barometer

an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure

barque

sailing ship with three or more masts and sails; its aftermost mast is rigged in the fore and aft direction, and the other masts are square-rigged

barquentine

a three or more masts sailing vessel that is square rigged on the fore mast and fore and aft on all others; this allows either to be sailed as a full square rigged vessel and run downwind or up to 60 degrees from the wind or sail under her fore and afters

barratry

an insurance term which includes every wrongful act committed intentionally by the master or crew resulting in losses to the owners or charterers, e.g. smuggling, concealing stowaways, etc. without owner's consent

barrel

the unit for measuring volume of petroleum and its products; 1 barrel is equivalent to 42 US Gallons or approximately 35 Imperial Gallons or 159 litres

baseline

a fore and aft reference line taken at the upper surface of the flat keel plate along the centreline

bathymetry

the measurement of deep sea soundings

batten

long and narrow strip of wood used for various purposes, e.g. hatch battens for holding down tarpaulins covering hatches, or in cargo hold to keep cargo away from the ship's sides see spar ceiling

bay

1. the part of the sea or big lake characterised by a wide curved shoreline; 2. section of a ship where containers or goods are stored

bay plan

stowage plan of a ship indicating where cargo is stowed bay by bay

BDMT

Bone Dry Metric Ton refers to dried woodchip with a stowage factor of 2.7 - 3.0 as compared to an untreated woodchip which has a stowage factor of 4.5 - 5.0; these two different values will affect how many tons a ship can load

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary beam

1. the width of a ship; 2. of direction, at right angle to ship's fore and aft line; 3. structural member that supports plating

beam knee

a bracket connecting a deck beam and frame; usually triangular in shape

beam sea

waves approaching a vessel from the side, i.e. at right angles to the ship's fore and aft direction

beam wind

wind blowing across the ship's sides

bearding

act of removing wood to reshape a curve or line in wooden boat building

bearding line

the line formed by the intersection of the inboard surface of the shell plating and the stem or sternpost

bearing

1. specially designed part that supports and allows a rotating shaft to run without damage by reducing friction; 2. the direction of an object with reference to a ship, observer or another object

Beaufort notation

a code used to express weather conditions tersely by a combination of letters of alphabet, e.g. r for rain, c for cloudy, etc.

Beaufort wind scale

a system using numbers from 0 to 12 to express wind speed; devised by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort in early nineteenth century and slightly revised over the years Beaufort scale Wind velocity in knots

Description

0

0~1

calm

1

1~3

light air

2

4~6

light breeze

3

7~10

gentle breeze

4

11~16

moderate breeze

5

17~21

fresh breeze

6

22~27

strong breeze

7

28~33

near gale

8

34~40

gale

9

41~47

strong gale

10

48~55

storm

11

56~65

violent storm

12

above 65

hurricane

becket

loop made of rope or wire and used for securing or fastening

bedplate

a base plate or structure upon which a machine is mounted

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary bellmouth

a cone-shaped fitting installed at the end of a suction pipe to facilitate pumping out of a tank with its wider opening

beneficial owner

the registered owner of a vessel who can charter the vessel out to others compare disponent owner

berth

1. cabin or place to sleep in a ship; 2. place for mooring a ship in port or anchoring

berth cargo

cargo taken by ship at less than the regular liner rates to fill surplus cargo space

berth terms

used in charterparty to indicate whether shipowner or charterer pays for the loading and discharging costs of the cargoes

bilge

the curved part of a ship's underwater body where the bottom plating turn towards side shell plating

bilge bracket

vertical flat plate positioned transversely and welded to the side frame and the inner bottom or margin plate in the area of the bilge

bilge keel

fin or long strip of plate attached to the turn of the bilge and run in the fore and aft direction from 25% to 75% of ship's length at both sides of a ship's underwater body; bilge keels serve to reduce the rolling motion at sea

bilge pump

pump for pumping out bilge water; usually it is a positive displacement pump

bilge strake

strake at the turn of the bilge linking the bottom plating to the side plating

bilge water

dirty water that collects in a ship's bilges

bilge well

a small drain well or tank which collects bilge water; usually located at the after end of the compartments

bilged

state of a ship when she runs aground and takes in water through her damaged hull

bilges

spaces next to the bilge strake for collecting water

bill of lading

document issued by carrier to a shipper of goods when received on board; it serves as a receipt for the goods, document of title of the goods and evidence of the contract of carriage; B/L for short

BIMCO

stand for Baltic and International Maritime Council; BIMCO is the world's largest private shipping organisation with 2,650 members worldwide in more than 100 countries

bimetallic strip

metal strip made by laminating together two layers of dissimilar metal having a different co-efficient of expansion; when there is a change in temperature, the strip will deflect or bend and this action is used to close or open electrical contacts

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary binnacle

a stand, of brass or non-magnetic material, for holding a compass as well as illuminating and compensating units

bitt

vertical cylindrical shaped fitting made of steel and securely attached to deck; usually in pair and used for fastening mooring ropes or towing lines in a figure of eight; also known as bollard

bitter end

the last link in the inboard end of an anchor chain which is secured to the chain locker

bitumen

a non-volatile, black or brown substance derived from refinery processes; can be viscous or solid depending on its temperature; has waterproofing and adhesive properties

black cargo

cargo boycotted by stevedores for reasons such as dangerous or hazardous to health

blending

thorough mixing of two compatible fuels having different properties to produce an intermediate fuel of certain properties

block coefficient

the ratio of the underwater volume of a ship to the volume of a rectangular block having the length, breadth and draught of the ship CB = immersed volume LxBxH

block stowage

stowing of cargo in stacks of even length in order to maximise the cargo space in the hold

bluewater

sea water color beyond the continental shelf; the sea water color changes from green to blue because of the increase in depth

boat deck

generally refers to the deck where lifeboats are stowed

boatswain

a supervisor of the seamen; one grade higher than able seaman; sometimes abbreviated as bos'n or bo'sun

boatswain's chair

a piece of rectangular board on which a man can sit when working aloft; the board with holes at the sides is suspended by rope arrangement

bobstay

stay or cable from end of bowsprit to the stem to prevent the former from lifting

body plan

a drawing showing the end view of a ship in two half-transverse sections sharing a common centreline; since the sections are generally symmetrical, the right-hand side of the centreline represents the ship as seen from ahead and the left-hand side as seen from astern; the series of transverse sections are cut at regular frame spacing from forward to aft and appear piled one on top of one another

bogie

steel framework with wheels for transporting a container or chassis on top

boiler

a cylindrical vessel in which the water can be heated to produce steam at high pressure

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary boiler mountings

fittings on a boiler that are required for its safe and efficient operation such as safety valves, water level sight glasses, pressure gauges, blow down valve, etc.

bollard

large circular post fitted at wharf for making fast mooring ropes; usually in pairs; also known as bitt

bollard pull

force produced by a tug when pulling against a bollard; forms a measure of the tug's size

bonded warehouse

building approved by Customs for secured storage of goods and containers which have payment of their duties deferred

Bonjean curve

a curve formed by plotting transverse sectional areas measured up to each waterline against a vertical axis representing the waterline; thus, the horizontal distance measured from the curve to the vertical axis gives the area of the section from the baseline to that particular waterline; usually sets of curves are obtained for each section; these curves facilitate immersed volume to be obtained for waterlines that are not parallel to baseline

boom

a long, round pole hinged to a mast and projecting outboard; the free end is supported by a wire rope and block arrangement from the top of the mast

boottop

the portion of a ship's outer side shell plating surface lying between the light and full load waterlines; depending on the loading condition of the ship, this portion may be partially or fully immersed in water

bordnakke

Danish boatbuilder's term describing the inner-upper-corner of a plank of a clinkerbuilt boat

boss

of propeller, the central part to which propeller blades are attached and through which the shaft end passes

bossing

the curved protruding portion of the ship's shell plating that surrounds and supports the propeller shaft

bottom

the underwater portion a ship

bottom end bearing

bearing at big end of connecting rod in a reciprocating engine which fits over the crankpin of a crankshaft

bottom plating

generally the shell plating of a ship lying between the two bilge turns other than the keel

boundary layer

of a vessel moving through water, the layer of water that is in contact and dragged along with the hull because of friction

bourdon gauge

a commonly used pressure measuring device which senses pressure using a o bourdon tube with an oval cross section that is curved over approximately 270 ; one end of the tube is linked to the pressure vessel to be measured and the other end is sealed and free; when there is a change of pressure, the tube tends to change its sectional shape to circular and in doing so, it tends to straighten; the resulting movement of the free end is used to move a pointer over a scale; also known as bourdon pressure gauge

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary bow

the forward end of a ship's hull; based on the different cross sectional shape, a ship may be described as having a rake bow, clipper bow, spoon bow, Maier-form, bulbous bow, etc. opposite of stern

bow line

the contour formed by the intersection of any longitudinal vertical plane which is not on the centreline of the ship, with the moulded surface of the hull forward of midship opposite of buttock

bow rake

the fore and aft inclination of the stem at the forward end of the vessel

bow thruster

a small propeller situated in an athwartship tunnel in the underwater hull of a ship; usually located near the bow, the side thrust created by the running propeller improves manoeuvrability, especially during berthing

bowse

to pull downward on a rope or fall

bowsprit

spar projecting forward from the stem

box rate

freight rate for the shipping of a container from origin to destination with no restriction on the cargo types and quantity loaded

brackish

of water, slightly salty with density between 1 & 1.025

brake horsepower

the power available at the shaft of an engine after minusing the frictional losses in the running component of the engine but before passing through reduction gears or other transmission devices; for direct-connected diesel engine, this power is same as shaft horsepower; this is measured using a brake which gives the name; bhp for short

break bulk

to commence cargo discharge

break bulk cargo

various kinds of goods packed in miscellaneous forms such as boxes, bales, drums, etc.

break bulker

general cargo ship that carries break bulk cargo

breakwater

of ship, inclined and stiffened plate structure on a weather deck to break and deflect the flow of water coming over the bow

breast hook

a triangular horizontal plate joining port and starboard stringers together behind the stem

breast line

a mooring rope deployed and oriented such that it is approximately perpendicular to the ship's fore and aft line

bridge

elevated superstructure having a clear view forward and at each side, and from which a ship is steered; also known as wheel house

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary bridge wing

refers to the extended deck area on the port and starboard side of the bridge; its tips usually coincide with the beam or width of the ship; by standing there, the deck officers can see clearly over the ship side when mooring alongside the berth

bridle

any fairly short length of rope secured at both ends

brigantine

sailing ship with square-rigged foremast, and fore and aft rigged main mast

Bristol fashion

of appearance, good and seamanlike

broach to

describes action taken on a ship when it is situated on a steep forefront of high wave in following and quartering sea condition so that it can be accelerated to ride on the wave

broaching

when a steep following sea causes the vessel (small vessels) to surf forwards controllably, the bow tends to dig into the wave ahead, deccelerating the vessel rapidly; the forces on the stern will cause the stern to swing violently to the left or right and the vessel will come to rest broadside to the waves; a rapid broaching may cause a capsize.

broken stowage

cargo space which cannot be utilised due to the type and nature of cargo loaded or structural interferences in the cargo hold

broker

one who acts as a link between two parties and helps in making an agreement between them; types of broker include marine insurance broker, sale and purchase broker, and shipbroker.

brokerage

commission or fee charged by the broker for his services

brokering

acting as intermediary between two parties such as shipowner and shipper or underwriter, e.g. securing transactions connected with shipping agreements

buckle

describe the failure of a column-like structure by bending when under compression beyond its design load

buckler

a portable plate covered over the deck opening of the hawse pipes to prevent water flowing through the openings when at sea

bulk cargo

cargo such as oil, coal, iron ore, grain, etc. that is loaded in bulk and not in bags, packages or containers

bulk carrier

a type of ship designed to carry bulk cargo

bulk oil

oil carried in cargo tanks forming an integral part of a ship, i.e. not in drums, etc.

bulker

popular term for bulk carrier

bulkhead

transverse or longitudinal vertical partition or "wall" for dividing the internal space of a hull into various compartments; may be built of stiffened steel plates or corrugated plates; bulkheads may be watertight, oiltight, gastight, or non-watertight

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary bulkhead deck

uppermost deck to which the transverse watertight bulkheads are carried

bull ring

1. steel ring at head of stem to take tow ropes; 2. ring for lashing cargo in containers

bull wire

the wire used for pulling the hatch covers closed or open; the wire is being led by a winch or crane

bullnose

metallic ring or chock, placed at the stem head of bow, that is used to pass a rope through while a vessel is being towed, or moored to a buoy or pier

bulwark

shell plating about one metre in height built around the outboard edge of upper deck from forecastle to poop to protect men and cargo against rough seas

bumboat

a boat that is used to carry supplies, stores, provision, etc to ships

bunk

built-in bed on a ship

bunker

a compartment for the storage of fuel oil used by the ship's machinery

bunker adjustment factor

surcharge applied to freight rates to adjust for fluctuation in fuel prices; BAF for short; also known as fuel adjustment factor (FAF), bunker surcharge or fuel oil surcharge

bunkering

act of taking in bunkers onboard the ship

bunkers

fuel such as oil stored in the bunker and used for running ship's machinery

buoy

a floating object secured to the bottom of a sea, river, etc to mark a position which a ship should avoid, change course, etc.

buoyage

act of using buoys to mark a channel or to warn ships of dangers, wrecks or other submerged objects

buoyancy

the upthrust given by the water which keeps a ship afloat; the difference between the vertical component of the hydrostatic pressure acting on the ship's hull and the weight of the ship

Bureau Veritas

the French Classification Society or BV for short

burgee

rectangular flag with a swallow tail cut at the end furthest from the mast; in the case of a yacht, it is triangular

bursting plate

a pressure relief device to protect an equipment from over-pressure, e.g. to protect air compressor's cooler casing from sudden rise in pressure due to bursting of the compressed air carrying tubes; also known as bursting disc

butt

joint between the ends of plates placed in the fore and aft line

butt weld

the joining of two plates by welding along the seam of their butt joints

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Butterworth cover

a small, hinged cover for closing a vertical trunkway used by Butterworth tankcleaning machine; several trunkways are erected on the main deck of tanker for each cargo tank depending on the tank size

buttock

the contour formed by the intersection of any longitudinal vertical plane which is not on the centreline of the ship, with the moulded surface of the hull aft of midship opposite of bow line

by pass filter

filter that allows a part of the flow discharged from a pump to return to the suction side, thereby improving filtration process see full flow filter

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

C Term

Definition

cabin

a compartment on board a ship designated as living quarters for persons

cable

a rope or chain attached to anchor

cable length

distance equal to one-tenth of a nautical mile, i.e. approximately 608 feet; in other units, it is equivalent to about 100 fathoms or 200 yards

caboose

old name for galley

cabotage

the carriage of goods or passengers for a fee between ports of the same country

calendering

process of pressing a sail cloth between hot steel rollers under high pressure to flatten it and make it more durable

calibration

the process of marking or adjusting an instrument so that its output value is a correct indication of the actual value being measured

call sign

a combination of alphabets and numbers allocated to ships and shore stations for identification purposes

calm

of the sea, without wind and large waves; still

calorific value

amount of heat released by the complete combustion of unit weight of fuel; usually expressed in calories per gram or British Thermal Unit (BTU) per pound

calorifier

small tank for heating water using steam heating or electrical coil immersed in the tank

camber

the athwartship upward rise of the weather deck from both sides towards the centreline of the ship; this arched form helps to direct water on deck to the sides where it can be drained off by scuppers compare sheer

camel

watertight vessel designed to lift a sunken ship; for salvage operations, a pair will be sunk on opposite side of the ship by filling with water; once they are attached to the sunken ship, the water is pumped out and their large buoyancy raises the ship

can hook

two or more steel hooks linked together by chain and designed for lifting a steel drum or barrel by gripping around its lip

cancelling date

the owner of the vessel shall present the vessel at the loading port and be ready to receive the cargo on a certain day or within a certain period of time; if he fails to do so within an agreed period, the contract may be cancelled

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary cant beam

deck supporting beam arranged in fan-like shape in the fore and aft ends of a ship, e.g. in ice breaker

cant frame

a frame which supports the structure at a plane that is not perpendicular to the centreline and connected at the upper end to cant beam

cantline

groove formed between strands of a rope or between bags or drums stowed in rows

canvas

material for making the sails of a ship; can be jute, cotton or hemp

canvas sock

a short hose fitted to the drain pipe at hatch corner

cap rail

uppermost part of a railing

capacity plan

a plan showing the arrangement, location and capacities of relevant compartments such as holds, ballast tanks, bunkers, fresh water tanks, etc

cape

a high land projecting into the sea

Capesize

a very large bulk carrier with deadweight above 150,000 tons - unable to transit Suez Canal and therefore have to sail round the Cape of Good Hope to and from Europe

cappuccino bunker

describe an effect caused by blowing compressed air into the bunkers to create a false level measurement; when the foam subsides after several hours later, the lower sounding level indicates a loss of fuel received onboard

capsize

of a boat, to turn over in the water

capstan

a barrel revolving in a vertical axis to haul in a cable or rope; usually driven by electric or hydraulic motor compare windlass

captain

the person in charge of a ship; another title for master

carbon precursors

particles formed during the combustion which eventually produce the solid carbon

cardinal points

the four principal points of a compass namely North, South, East and West

careen

to expose a large section of a vessel bottom for cleaning, painting and maintenance by manipulating the list of the vessel; for small craft, it is achieved by putting it up on the beach at high tide and allowing the the hull to be exposed at low tide

cargo

goods carried in a ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary cargo claim adjuster a person who is responsible for determining whether loss and or damage to a cargo is or is not covered by an ocean marine cargo insurance policy; the adjuster can be employed by the insurance company who had issued such a cargo insurance policy or it can be a person employed by an insurance broker whose client is the firm insured; the broker's adjuster is responsible to see that all its clients' cargo claims are properly adjusted by the interested insurance company cargo deadweight

the remaining carrying capacity after deducting from deadweight tonnage, the fuel, water, stores, dunnage, and such other items necessary for use on a voyage

cargo gear

a general term for all equipment, machinery and tools used for safe cargo operations, e.g. cranes, derricks, slings, securing devices, etc.

cargo net

a net used for the lifting of small packages or bags; made of rope or wire and be large if used for cargo operation

cargo plan

a plan which marks and indicates the locations of various cargoes stowed on board; the plan may be on simple outline of the ship's cargo spaces

cargo sweat

water droplets which condense on the cargo when a ship sails from a cool place to warmer places; this occurs when the warmer incoming air comes into contact with the cooler cargo's surface compare ship's sweat

carling

the fore and aft strength member fitted between the deck beams; also known as deck girder

carrier

owner or operator of ships who enter into a contract with shipper for the transportation of goods; also refers to the ship carrying cargo

carter's note

document which accompanies the cargo from its packing location to the port for loading; it contains shipping instructions

carving note

a document filled in by owner of a ship under construction giving ship's name, tonnage, official number, port of registry, etc. and signed by surveyor certifying that the ship particulars have been 'carved' on board

cast off

to let go or unfasten mooring lines securing a ship to a berth, etc.

cat boat

sailboat with a single fore and aft sail

catalytic fines

extremely hard and abrasive particles of aluminium silicate found in fuel as a result of its use as catalyst in crude oil refineries employing catalytic cracking process; can cause excessive wear in engine parts

catamaran

a boat with two parallel hulls side by side

cathode

an electrode carrying a negative charge opposite of anode

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary cathodic protection

the prevention of corrosion by making the metal to protect a cathode; this is because when corrosion occurs in an electrolyte, corrosion cells are set up causing electric currents to flow out from anodes to cathodes; the anodes give itself up or corrode and the cathodes receive current or get protected; on a ship, cathodic protection is applied on the ship's hull, sea water piping system, ballast tanks, etc.

catwalk

an elevated walkway running in the fore and aft direction along the centreline of a ship from poop deck to forecastle deck; provides safe acccess to bow during heavy seas; generally found in large tanker

caulk

of wooden vessel, to make a joint watertight by filling the seams between the planks with oakum or similar material

cavitation

a phenomenon in which the pressure within a liquid falls to a level low enough for the liquid to vaporise and form local cavities; this may occur in a propeller rotating in water causing a drop in propeller efficiency and pitting on blade surfaces

CBFS

Carbon Black Feedstock is a mixture of C12 and higher components rich in naphthalene, methyl-indenes, anthracene, fluorene and other poly-aromatic components; it originates from the high temperature cracking of petroleum fractions

cell

of electricity, a device for converting chemical energy into electrical energy; it basically consists of two electrodes immersed in an electrolyte; also known as primary cell

Celsius

the measurement unit for temperature where 0 C is the freezing temperature and o 100 C is the boiling point for water; also known as Centigrade

centre of buoyancy

the geometrical centre of the volume of water displaced by a floating ship, that is, where the total moments of the displaced volume about this centre is zero

centre of flotation

the geometrical centre of the waterplane areas around which a ship may be assumed to trim

centre of gravity

the geometrical centre of a ship through which the whole weight of the ship may be assumed to act

centreline

the middle line of a ship running in the fore and aft direction

centrifugal pump

one design of pump which uses centrifugal force to transfer the fluid; it basically consists of a rotating impeller enclosed within a stationary volute casing; during operations, the fluid is sucked through the centre of the casing and discharged tangentially

certificate of competency

certificate issued to seafarers after passing examinations conducted to test their competency in handling ship's matters; may be divided into deck and engine categories and graded from class 5 to 1 where 1 being the highest grade

o

certificate of registry a certificate stating the identity of a ship and provides evidence of title to ownership

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Cesser and lien clause

clause in a voyage charterparty which stipulates that the charterer's liability ceases once the cargo has been shipped and the owners have a lien on the cargo for freight, deadfreight, demurrage and general average contributions

Cesser clause

clause in a voyage charterparty which stipulates that the charterer's liability ceases once the cargo has been shipped

cetane index

a measure of the ignition quality of fuel; the higher the indices the shorter the ignition lags and easier the fuel will ignite

CFR

Cost and Freight, a shipping term in which the exporter clears the goods for export and pays the costs and freight of transporting the goods to the port of destination; however, all risk and additional costs is transferred to the importer or buyer once the goods pass the ship's rail in the load port

CFR liner out

Cost and Freight inclusive of unloading charges at the port of destinations

chafing gear

a general term used to describe any mechanism designed to protect the wire cable against damage caused by rubbing against any steel structure such as stern of a tug

chafing plate

a plate to protect against chafing

chain

connected metal rings or links used for holding anchor, fastening timber cargoes, etc.

chain locker

a compartment usually at the forward end of a ship which is used to store the anchor chain; the cable chain goes in and out through a hawse pipe

chain plate

plate for attaching the shroud or standing rigging to the hull

chain stopper

a device for securing the chain cable when riding at anchor as well as securing the anchor in the housed position in the hawse pipe, thereby relieving the strain on the windlass

chainage

a length measured by a surveyor's tape or chain

chalk test

a type of weathertightness test carried out on hatch cover system - the chalk is first rubbed on the compression bar around the hatch, and then the hatch covers are closed; after opening, the imprint on the rubber seal should be continuous indicating proper contact see hose test, ultrasonic test

chandler

one who sells supplies to ships

Charley Noble

refer to the galley's smoke pipe; named after an English sea captain who was well known for setting a high standard in the polish of the brass fittings aboard his ship

chart

a detailed map of the sea bottom and coast for navigational use

chart datum

depth of water at the lowest astronomical tide, i.e. spring tide

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary charterer

a person or firm who enters into a contract with a shipowner for the transportation of cargo or passengers for a stipulated period of time, i.e. a shipowner's customer

charterparty

a written contract between shipowner and charterer whereby a ship is hired; all terms, conditions and exceptions are stated in the contract

chaser

device used to locate and recover a buried anchor during anchor handling operation

chassis

trailer or wheeled unit on which a container is placed in order to transport container by road

chemical tanker

a tanker designed to carry chemical products; also known as chemical carrier

China Classification Society

the Chinese Classification Society or CCS for short

chinchoo

person who acts as a shipowner and stays on board when the ship is sailing and in port; common practice in Indonesian vessels to protect the owner's interests

chine

the angular intersection formed where the sides and bottom of a flat or V-bottomed boat meet; also written as chime

chine bar

a round solid steel bar running along the chine

chips

another name for carpenter

chock

1. wooden block used as a wedge to keep things from shifting when a ship rolls; 2. metal piece fitted precisely between machinery and its foundation to achieve alignment; in place of metal pieces, resin can be poured in place after alignment; 3. heavy metallic ring-like fitting placed around the weather deck through which wires or ropes pass to the pier for mooring

chokepoint

narrow shallow sea corridor; a place at sea where geography and water depth combined to create a narrow shallow corridor for submarines and surface ships necessitating a speed reduction

chronometer

a special clock constructed to give very accurate time; used in navigation

CIF

Cost, Insurance and Freight, a shipping term basically similar to CFR but with an additional insurance coverage included in the price of goods

CIP

Cost and Insurance Paid to..., a shipping term basically similar to CPT but with an additional insurance coverage included in the price of goods

circuit breaker

mechanical device for protecting against an overcurrent fault in an electrical circuit; unlike a fuse, it can be used to make and break the circuit under normal as well as faulty conditions, e.g. short circuit

clampmeter

an instrument for measuring larger magnitude of electrical current flow than can be measured by ammeter, as in power supply

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary clarifier

a rotating machinery for separating solids from liquid by the use of centrifugal force; it is arranged to discharge a single liquid and no sealing water is required, unlike purifier

classification society

an organisation which establishes and maintains proper technical standards for the construction and classification of ships, supervises their construction and carries out regular surveys of ships in service to ensure continued seaworthiness and compliance with safety standards

Clause paramount

clause inserted in a contract of carriage to indicate that the Hague Rules or HagueVisby Rules are applicable to the bills of lading issued; also known as Paramount clause

clean ballast

water ballast that is free of any oily mixtures

clean on board

traditional clause used on Letters of Credit to guarantee that cargo has been loaded in good conditions, not damaged; originally applicable for break bulk and bulk shipments but not for containerised cargo in FCL conditions, where carriers do not have visible access to the cargo to check its conditions.

clean petroleum products

refer to oil products that do not stain the surfaces in contact with them, e.g. jet fuel, gasoline, diesel oil, etc.; also known as clean products compare dirty petroleum products

cleat

a fitting with two projecting arms or horns for securing ropes

clew

the lower aft corner of a sail compare tack

clingage

residual oil that remained on the walls of pipes or on the internal surfaces of tanks after most of the oil has been removed

clinker-built boat

wooden boat built by overlapping the strakes and clinking or filling the seams with oakum to make the boat watertight

clinometer

an instrument for measuring a ship's angle of inclination or heel

clipper

a name applied to fast ship with sails

close quarter

area around a vessel where a collision with an approaching vessel could not be avoided by the action of the approached vessel alone if the approaching vessel made a major, sudden and unexpected course change

close-hauled

1. sailing with the wind forward of the beam; 2. sailing as close to wind as possible

closed conference

one type of liner conference which restricts membership of a new line into the group to protect the members' market share in a particular trade compare open conference

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary cloud point

temperature at which wax begins to separate from the oil when cooled; indicated by appearance of cloud or haze

coaming

a raised vertical erection around each hatch, or deck opening to prevent water from getting down the opening

coaming bar

the horizontal plate at the top of the coaming structure

coaster

a ship which trades along the coast of a country

cock

a type of valve which controls the flow of fluid by a plug; the plug has a through o hole which is designed to shut by rotating the hole 90 away from the line of flow

CODMAE

stand for Combined Diesel Mechanical And Electric; refers to one of the hybrid propulsion configurations

cofferdam

void space between two bulkheads or "walls" that receives and retains any liquid that has leaked through one bulkhead

coffin plate

plate used to connect the flat plate keel to the stern frame

coiled ship

vessel with steam heating coils in the liquid cargo tanks to keep the cargoes warm so as to maintain pumpability, e.g. oil tanker, product tanker, etc.

cold filter plugging point

measures the ability of fuel to flow at low temperature; the lower the CFPP, the lower is the ambient temperature at which the fuel can run without causing problem

cold ironing

describe the process of providing shore side electrical power to a ship at berth while its main and auxiliary engines are turned off. It permits emergency equipment, refrigeration, cooling, heating, lighting and other equipment to receive continuous electrical power while the ship loads or unloads its cargo in port; also known as alternative maritime power or AMP for short

cold work

any work that has no chance to create a source of ignition

collect freight

freight payable at destination provided the ship delivers the cargo as specified

collier

bulk carrier specially constructed for the carriage of coal; loading by gravity from chutes and discharge may be by grabs or conveyor belt system

collision

striking of two vessels that are in motion compare allision

collision bulkhead

the foremost transverse watertight bulkhead which is designed to prevent water flooding the forward cargo hold in the event of head-on collision

colours

a ship's national ensign

combi-tug

a conventional single screw tug equipped additionally with an azimuthing propulsion unit beneath the bow to improve manoeuvrability

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary comfort zone

commence of sea passage

of air conditioning, zone found most comfortable by vast majority of people when sedentary, i.e. not engaged in vigorous exercise; mainly affected by relative humidity (RH) which influences one's sensation of 'hot' or 'cold'; it is defined within o o o four points on the psychrometric chart, namely 20 C 70% RH, 27 C 70% RH, 22 C o 40% RH and 29 C 40% RH starts when the vessel reaches its designed cruising speed after departing port

commins

a 19th Century term which may be a corruption of "coamings". e.g. as in Customs searched the ship "from the commins to the keel"

commodity box rate

box rate for a particular commodity; CBR for short

companion way

access hatch with stairway linking between decks

compartment

any one of the spaces created when a ship is divided by watertight bulkheads and doors

compass deviation

angle between the north point of the compass and the direction of the magnetic meridian

compass error

the angle between the North-South line of compass and the true meridian at a position

compass rose

graduated circle diagram on a chart or compass card that shows the direction of true and magnetic bearings

complement

the number of crew members required to man a ship

compression bar

of hatch cover, a steel bar designed to force against the rubber seal when the cover is closed to achieve weathertight joint

compressor

machine for compressing a gas (e.g. air or refrigerant gas) to increase its pressure; compression may be achieved by mechanically reducing the gaseous volume using reciprocating piston in a cylinder or by using centrifugal force to impart energy to the gas see air compressor, reefer compressor, turbocharger

conbulker

a combination carrier designed to carry containers and bulk cargoes

condenser

heat exchanger in which vapour is reduced to liquid after releasing heat, e.g. steam condenser, refrigerant condenser

connecting rod

a rod connecting lower end of piston rod with crank pin of a reciprocating diesel engine

conning

act of directing the course and speed of a ship

Conrodson Carbon Residue

measures the tendency of a fuel to form carbon deposits under high temperature conditions in the absence of air

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary consignee

one to whom cargo is sent as stated on the bill of lading

consignment

a shipment of cargo to consignee; the act of shipping goods to another

consignor

the person or firm named in the bill of lading as the shipper

consolidation

of shipment, a shipping method whereby a freight forwarder or consolidator brings together individual consignments from various shippers into a single shipment to obtain preferential rates; at the destination, the consolidation is then sorted into its original component consignments and forwarded to their consignees; also known as groupage

consolidator

a freight forwarder who combines a number of smaller shipments from a group of exporters for one destination in order to obtain better rates; also known as groupage contractor

constructive total loss

the loss may be considered constructive when the cost of salvage or repair for the damage occurred exceeds the insured value; in this case, the assured may go for a partial loss and retain ownership of the subject, or go for actual total loss and leave the subject to the insurer

container

a large metal box of standard size for carrying goods; twenty feet and forty feet long containers are common when transporting by sea

containership

ship designed to carry standard sized containers prepacked with cargo for ease of loading and unloading operation; also known as boxship

Continuous Synopsis Record

an official document carried onboard a trading vessel which records the ownership history of that vessel for easy traceability

contract of affreightment

a contract to carry a large volume of specific cargo over a long period of time between agreed ports or regions; unlike a charter, the ship used for the shipment is not named but based on general requirements specified by the cargo owner; COA for short

controllable pitch propeller

a propeller with blades that can be rotated in position to achieve ahead, astern or neutral thrust, the main engine only needs to run in a constant direction; also known as variable pitch propeller or CPP for short

cooler

heat exchanger in which the hotter liquid is cooled down after releasing heat to the cooling medium such as sea water or fresh water; examples of its use on board are lubricating oil cooler, jacket cooling water cooler, sea water cooler, air cooler, etc.

copper strip corrosion

measures the tendency of a petroleum product to corrode pure copper

corrosion inhibitor

a substance which effectively reduces the rate of corrosion of a metal when introduced in small quantity to the corrosive environment

corsair

pirate or pirate ship

Coulomb

the unit of electrical quantity and is equal to one ampere per second

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary course recorder

a device to record the course and heading taken by the ship during a voyage

cowl

a specially shaped fitting on top of natural ventilation trunk which can be rotated to collect and direct air through the trunking to a particular place; helps to improve air flow

coxswain

the person in charge of steering a boat

CPT

Carriage Paid To.., a shipping term in which the exporter clears the goods for export and pays the costs and freight of transporting the goods to the port of destination; however, all risk and additional costs is transferred to the importer or buyer once the goods have been received by the first carrier

cradle

temporary framework that supports the hull of a vessel under construction and during launching

crane

a machine for lifting and moving heavy weights

crankshaft

shaft that supports reciprocating pistons while rotating in bearings as in a diesel engine; consists of journals, crank webs and crankpins

crash stop

part of the various sea trials to measure a newly built vessel's handling characteristics, this test requires a vessel running at full speed to be stopped by going full astern instantly so as to measure any undesirable deviation from the original heading

crew

a person working on board a ship

critical speed

of diesel engine, the rotating speed at which the resonant condition occurs, i.e. the engine-generated frequency coincides with any one of the natural frequencies of the engine shafting system creating higher stresses

cross joint

of hatch cover, where hatch covers meet when close

cross tree

athwartship erection across the mast

crosshead

a rectangular block which connects and acts as a hinge between the lower end of piston rod and the upper end of connecting rod in an engine; at its athwartship faces, it carries guide shoes which transmit the side thrust of the connecting rod to the guides on the columns

crow

long iron lever made with a forked wedge at one end

crow's feet

small lines radiating from a luff or eye

crow's nest

1. elevated look-out station near the mast head 2. of tug, a very small wheel house located high above the superstructure to give the tug master a better all-round view during operations

cuddy

forward cabin in a small boat

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary cunningham hole

a ringed hole located a short distance up from the tack of a sail; serves as an eye for tensioning the luff

currency adjustment factor

surcharge applied to freight rate by a carrier to offset foreign currency fluctuations; CAF for short

customary despatch time allowed for the charterer to load/discharge the cargo at the loading/discharging port; CD for short; also known as customary quick despatch or CQD cutout

opening intentionally cut in structural members to facilitate continuity of welding seams, criss-crossing structural members to pass through or simply for drainage

cutter

sailing boat with one mast, bowsprit and fore and aft sails

cycloidal propeller

a propulsion unit consisting of a series of upright blades fitted to a hub that rotates about a vertical axis; the hydrofoil-shaped blades moves in a circular path at constant speed; when their pitch is changed at different positions along the orbit, a propulsive thrust is produced in a corresponding direction; this propulsion unit offers a greater degree of control than a conventional screw propeller as the thrust can be applied in any direction and has better manoeuvrability when going astern; also known as Voith Schneider propeller after their inventors, Ernst Schneider and JM Voith in 1928

cylinder

round, tubular chamber in which a piston reciprocates

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

D Term

Definition

damaged stability

describe the ability of a ship to remain upright when damaged; merchant shipping regulations specify certain minimum standards to be satisfied under damaged conditions

dangerous goods

cargo which is classified as potentially hazardous; e.g. inflammable, toxic, explosive, radioactive substances, etc.

davit

a fitting for lifting and lowering boat or heavy items at the ship's sides; in its simplest form, may look like an inverted L-shaped steel pipe mounted on deck

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid, a shipping term in which the seller has to bear all the costs and risks including duties, taxes and other charges of delivering and clearing the goods to the named destination. Whilst the term Ex Works, EXW represents the minimum obligation to the seller, DDP represents the maximum. Compare to Delivered Duty Unpaid

DDU

Delivered Duty Unpaid, a shipping term in which the shipper has to bear all the costs and risks to deliver the goods to the named destination except duties, taxes and any charges payable for importation Compare to Delivered Duty Paid

deadeye

wooden block with holes to receive shroud or stay and allow them to be tightened

deadfreight

a form of compensation payable by the charterer or shipper to the shipowner when the charterer is unable to load the cargo quantity agreed in the charterparty; the amount payable is the loss of freight equivalent to the cargo unavailable

deadlight

steel, hinged cover to protect the porthole's glass in heavy weather or to prevent lights inside the ship from showing outside; it can be mechanically secured by screws and nuts

deadrise

athwartship rise of the bottom plating from the keel to the bilge, i.e. making the keel lower than the port and starboard bilge turns; also known as rise of floor

deadship

describes a ship without electrical and propulsion power

deadweight

total weight of cargo, stores, fuel and water needed to submerge a ship from her light draught to her maximum permitted draught; it is given by the difference between the load displacement and light displacement (also known as lightweight); DWT for short

deballast

act of taking out ballast; usually refers to pumping out of sea water from the ballast tanks

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary decal

pressure sensitive label printed with appropriate numbering, letters or symbols for identification purposes

Decca system

a relatively short range position-fixing system giving a high degree of accuracy up to a distance of 240 miles from the stations; this system uses a pair of stations to transmit signals which are received and compared on the Decca receiver onboard; this has been phased out with the widespread use of the GPS

decibel

the unit of sound pressure, giving a measure of the noise intensity; dB for short

deck beam

a horizontal transverse structural member that supports a deck or flat in the athwartship direction compare carling

deck girder

a longitudinal web structure or girder used to strengthen and support a deck

deck hand

seaman who serves on deck; this term may apply to ordinary seaman or able seaman, but not an officer

deckhead

underside of any deck, also refers to the ceiling of compartment or hold

deckhouse

enclosed structures that are erected on main deck which are well within the line of the ship’s side; generally used as store room

deductible

of marine insurance, is the amount which the shipowner has to pay from his own account when making a claim

deep tank

tank extending from the bottom or inner bottom up to or higher than the lowest deck which is typically the main weather deck

deep-sea tug

tug designed to operate at sea and carry out long range towing operations; also known as ocean-going tug

demise

temporary transfer of a vessel to another party for the period of the charter such that the shipowner ceases to have any control over her

demurrage

fee paid by the charterer to the shipowner when the latter's ship is detained beyond the specified date agreed in the charterparty opposite of despatch

depth

of ship, is the vertical distance from the lowest point of the hull to the measured deck level compare moulded depth

DEQ

Delivered Ex Quay, a shipping term in which the exporter bears all the risks and costs of transporting the goods to the quay at the named destination port; however, the importer or buyer is responsible for import clearance

deratting certificate

a certificate stating when a ship has been inspected for rats or fumigated; also known as certificate of deratisation

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary derelict

afloat vessel that has been abandoned by the crew

derrick

a boom or spar used for cargo handling; pivoted at one end to a mast or strong point on deck, the free end can be swung and lifted using a combination of wire ropes, winches and blocks to hoist or lower cargo

derrick post

a mast or strong post used for swinging the derrick

DES

Delivered Ex Ship, a shipping term in which the exporter bears all the risks and costs of transporting the goods to the named destination port; however, the importer or buyer is responsible for unloading the goods from the ship, clearing for import and bearing all risks and costs at destination port

design draught

draught as used for design calculation before actual construction, which has a tendency to distort the final reading

despatch

compensation paid by shipowner to charterer as a 'reward' when the latter is able to complete the cargo operations in less time than the laytime allowed opposite of demurrage

Det Norske Veritas

the Norwegian Classification Society or DNV for short

devanning

stripping of containers

devil's claw

a two-pronged claw for fitting over a link in the anchor chain and with a screw arrangement, it can tighten up to secure a housed anchor, thus taking the weight off the windlass

dew point

the temperature to which water vapour in the air can be cooled without condensation; below this point, the moisture begins to condense to liquid forming fog or mist

DGPS

Differential Global Positioning System; essentially a GPS with additional input from land-based stations to enhance the accuracy of the satellite broadcasts

dhaw

traditional wooden ship used to transport general cargo in arab states; sometimes known as dhow

diesel engine

an internal combustion engine in which the heat required for ignition of the fuel is generated by the compression of the air used for combustion; also known as compression ignition engine; the simpler types are two-stroke engine and fourstroke engine

diesel index

a measure of the ignition quality of fuel

dinghy

a small boat carried on or towed behind a larger boat as a tender or a lifeboat

dirty ballast

ballast carried in cargo tanks which are not washed, i.e. ballast that is contaminated with oils

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary dirty petroleum products

refer to crude oils and residual fuels such as heavy fuel oils; also known as black products compare clean petroleum products

dirty ship

a tanker which has been carrying dirty petroleum products such as fuel oil

disbursements

sums of money paid out by a ship's agent on behalf of the shipowner for port charges, cargo charges and ship charges

discharge book

book for maintaining a continuous record of a seaman's service on board; details such as ship particulars, appointment held, character, etc.; the book is usually issued by national maritime department

dispersant

chemical product that is environment friendly and designed to disperse oil spills at sea and in port where there is a pollution incident

displacement

the weight of water displaced by a ship floating in a given condition; a measure of ship's size

disponent owner

a person or company which has commercial control over a vessel's operation without owning the ship as in a bareboat charter compare beneficial owner

distillate

product formed by condensation of the vapours distilled from petroleum

distress freight

freight being taken to fill up vacant space at a very low rate before sailing; this situation sometimes occurs when the expected cargo cannot be loaded for some reasons, e.g. poor quality

diurnal

daily; happens once a day

dockage

fee for ship's space at a dock usually based on length of vessel

docking plan

a plan showing the form of the bottom and the location of appendages, sea chests, overboard discharges, underwater valves, drain plugs, etc. so that keel blocks would not be positioned directly under them

dockmaster

the person in charge of docking operations

dog

a wedge-type, hand-operated metal lever used to close doors and hatch covers; usually several pieces are fitted around the edges of each door or hatch cover to ensure proper tightening

dog house

of tug, a smaller separate wheel house located at the aft of the normal wheel house; act as a secondary control station when manoeuvring or picking up a tow

doldrums

regions near the equator where there is little or no wind

dolphin

wooden, steel or cement structure firmly fixed to sea bed for mooring of vessel

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary donkey boiler

small boiler for supplying steam to machinery used in harbour; this term is obsolete

donkeyman

rating attending to a donkey boiler and helps in the engine room

DOP

Dropping Outward Pilot, normally used when redelivering at the end of a time charter whereby the handover occurs after sailing from the final port; this wording ensures that the time charterer pays all the expenses involved in the calling at the final port. Occasionally modified to DLOSP (Dropping Last Outward Sea Pilot) to avoid disputes when more than one pilot is needed to take the vessel to sea, particularly at ports where river pilots take the vessel from the berth and handover to sea pilots on passage.

double bottom

the compartment divided by the floors and keelsons between inner and outer bottom; usually used as ballast or fuel oil tanks

double hull

hull which has wing tanks and double bottoms enveloping the cargo tanks in the middle; a form of hull design to minimise the risk of environmental pollution in case of collision, grounding or damage to the cargo spaces; usually used to describe tanker construction compare single skin

doubler

additional plate welded on top of the original plate to increase stiffness or local strength; in some cases to maintain watertightness

douse

to lower and stow a sail quickly and suddenly

down helm

to put the tiller to leeward opposite of up helm

draftage

quantities drawn from a bulk cargo

draught

the vertical distance measured from the lowest point of a ship's hull to the waterline or the water surface compare air draught

draught marks

figures welded on the bow, midship and stern of each side of a ship's shell plating to indicate draught; the distance is read from the lower edge of each number; draught measured at the bow is called forward draught and at the stern is called aft draught

draught survey

survey carried out to determine the cargo weight on board by measuring the ship's draught

dredger

ship designed to deepen a channel, river or area by removing the deposits from the sea bottom, either through suction or excavating using revolving buckets

drogue

another term for sea anchor

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary drop line

of a tanker, the cargo pipeline which is used to load the cargo into the tank by gravity; usually made of a straight steel pipe leading right down to just above the inner bottom

drop point

the temperature at which a grease undergoes change of state, i.e. from semi-solid to liquid under specified test conditions

dry bulb temperature

temperature measured with a bare thermometer bulb indicating the ambient temperature compare wet bulb temperature

dry dock

excavated basin with entrance that can be closed by a watertight gate; entire basin can be pumped dry to expose the underwater section of a ship's hull for inspection and maintenance; also known as graving dock compare floating dock

dry saturated steam

describes saturated steam that contains no water particles in suspension

dry towing

transporting vessels, which are not suitable for towing, by loading them onto a specially designed barge

dryness fraction

of steam, is the ratio of the weight of pure dry steam to the weight of steam and water particles in suspension

dual watch

of radio telephone, an important safety feature allowing monitoring of the international distress and calling channel, i.e. channel 16 regardless of other activities

dumb barge

a barge with no means of propulsion; a tug is required to move the barge

dunnage

any material (e.g. wooden planks) which is placed at the bottom of the cargo hold to raise the cargo; serves to keep cargo dry or prevent shifting

duplex filters

filters arranged in pair so that when one is in use, the other serves as standby and ready to use see simplex filter

dutch bow

of tug, bow with a raised forecastle head designed for heavy weather service

dutchman

a metallic piece used to cover up narrow opening in joints or crevices as a result of poor workmanship

dwell time

duration of cargo remaining in port before being loaded on board or collected for domestic distribution

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary dynamic positioning

a system to maintain a ship such as drilling ship in a relatively fixed position with respect to the seabed without the use of anchors or mechanical mooring systems; the fully computerised system controls two or more propulsive devices such as thrusters with feedback signals from gyro compass, global positioning system (GPS) or other means

dynamic stability

describe the ability of a floating body to remain upright when subjected to external disturbance such as wind or wave motions

dynamical stability

of a ship at a given angle of heel, is the work done to heel the ship to that angle; it is proportional to the area under the statical stability curve up to that angle

dynamo

a machine for converting mechanical energy into electricity

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

E Term

Definition

earth fault

an electrical fault that occurs when a break in the electrical insulation causes the conductor to come into contact with the steel hull or earthed metallic enclosure

ebb

falling of tide from high to low, with the tide flowing away from the land

echo depth well

a box in the double bottom which houses the transducer of the fathometer; it allows access to the transducer for maintenance

echo sounder

an electronic device which emits sound waves from a ship's bottom to determine the depth of the water

echo sounding

checking the depth of water with an echo sounder

economiser

a kind of heat exchanger used to recover waste heat in the exhaust gases; it is usually placed after the exhaust gas boiler in a multi-stage heat recovery system; feed water is circulated through it to absorb the heat energy

eddy

a circular movement of water caused by obstruction in the flow of water, or the meeting of opposite currents

effective horsepower

the power required to pull the ship through smooth water and still air without any propeller related complications; sometimes known as towrope horsepower; ehp for short

electrochemical series

series obtained by measuring the electrode potentials of different metals in relation to a standard electrode and arranging them in order of their magnitude compare galvanic series

electrode

1. electrical conductor by which electric current is passed into or out of a liquid or gas; 2. metal rod used for arc welding

electrolyte

liquid which allows electric current to pass through

electromotive force

total potential difference created between the two electrodes, namely anode and cathode in a cell when the cell is not supplying any current; emf for short

electroplating

depositing of one thin layer of metal e.g. silver, nickel, etc. upon another by electrochemical processes; also known as electrodeposition

emulsibility

measures the ability of water-insoluble fluid to form an emulsion with water

emulsification

mixing of oil and water together to form emulsion

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary emulsifier

additive used to produce stable emulsion

emulsion

mixture of particles of one liquid in another; the particles are so fine that they remain in suspension and do not settle out

engine room

a machinery space where the main engine and its supporting machinery are sited

engine seat

a specially reinforced floors or plates, on which the engine rests

ensign

the flag flown by a ship to indicate her nationality; national flag

enthalpy

sum of internal energy of a body or system and the product of its volume multiplied by the subjected external pressure

EPIRB

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, a safety equipment carried on board to broadcast the vessel's position when activated via the satellite communications system

escape trunk

a shoulder-wide vertical trunk provided with a ladder to allow personnel to escape to upper decks from a compartment such as engine room, shaft tunnel, etc.

essential service

of electrical power supply on board a ship, it refers to emergency power supply to services that is essential to the safety of the ship and crew during a total power failure; essential service may include emergency lighting, alarms, communications, etc.

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival, time given as an approximation of when a vessel will arrive at a particular destination

evaporator

heat exchanger in which liquid is flashed into vapour after absorbing heat; examples of its use on board are fresh water generator, air-conditioner and refrigeration chamber or cold room

even keel

describes the condition of a ship when she is lying evenly in the fore and aft direction, i.e. when there is zero trim

exhaust gas boiler

boiler that relies solely on exhaust gas generated by main engine to produce steam during voyage

explosive limits

the limits beyond which, the vapour and air mixture cannot be ignited; these limits are known as lower explosive limit and upper explosive limit; the flammable range of petroleum products may be considered as between 1% to 10% per volume of the atmosphere

extreme breadth

the transverse distance extending from the most outboard point on one side to the most outboard point on the other side of a ship's hull including any projections on the ship's side; this dimension determines the maximum space occupied by the ship when used with length overall compare moulded breadth

extreme draught

draught measured to the lowest projecting portion of a ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary EXW

Ex Works, a shipping term in which the exporter fulfills his duty to deliver once the goods are made available at his premises, i.e. factory, warehouse, etc.; the exporter is not responsible for loading or clearing the goods for export; selling price is the cost of the goods

eye

refers to a small hole or loop

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

F Term

Definition

fair

to alter and obtain the proper shape or dimension

fairing the lines

checking and making adjustment to the curved lines drawn separately in the various plans (eg. lines plan, body plan, half-breadth plan or profile plan) such that any point on any plan should have the same breadth, the same height, and same distance forward or aft of a particular frame station as the same point drawn on other plans

fairlead

any fixture such as ring, eye, roller, etc that guides a rope in the direction required

fairwater

upper part of rudder trunk

fairway

the path of water in a channel, harbour or river that is navigable

fall

any rope for hauling

fantail

rounded or elliptical after deck which extends well aft of the after perpendicular, and overhangs the propeller and rudder

fardage

dunnage used with bulk cargo

FAS

Free Alongside Ship, a shipping term in which the exporter is responsible for placing the goods alongside the ship on the quay or in lighters at the named place; once alongside, the importer or buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss or damage to the goods

fashion plate

plate used in the bow area that is symmetrical about centreline

fathom

the measurement unit for water depths and lengths of rope; 1 fathom is equivalent to 6 feet (1.83 metre); it came from the length measured across the outstretched arms of a man, which was standardised as 6 feet

fathom line

line on a chart indicating equal depth, usually at an interval of 1, 3, 6, 10, 30 and 100 fathoms

fathometer

echo sounder for measuring the depth of water

faying surface

contact surface between two adjoining parts

FCA

Free Carrier, a shipping term in which the exporter is responsible for clearing the goods for export and handing over the goods to the designated carrier at the named place

feeder

a temporary grain container or vertical trunk fitted in the hatch of a hold to feed it as the grain settles after loading

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary feeder ship

smaller ship which calls at less busy ports or ports inaccessible to deepsea vessels and carries cargo to major loading port for transhipment

fender

any material hung over the ship's sides to prevent damage when coming alongside another ship or during berthing; may be old rubber tyres or a mass of old ropes

fiddles

wooden fittings which can be raised above the edges of table to prevent bowls, cups, plates, etc. from sliding off the table in rough sea

fiddley

1. space above boiler; 2. funnel casing

FIOST

Free In and Out Stowed and Trimmed, a shipping term where cargo is loaded, discharged, stowed and trimmed free of expense to the shipowner

fire main

refers to a system of seawater piping on board used primarily for fire fighting; the system is supplied by a fire pump taking suction from the sea

fire point

the lowest temperature at which the heat from the combustion of a burning vapour is capable of sustaining the combustion without the ignition source; this point is higher than the flash point

firm offer

a definite offer made to one party at a time, usually with certain main terms included; it is binding on the party making it when it is accepted unconditionally and within any specified time limit

first mate

the next deck officer below Master; also known as chief mate or chief officer

first open water

a chartering term referring to the first date at which vessels can enter ports which are previously icebound during winter; e.g. Albany, situated on the Hudson River is only open for navigation between the end of July and October

fish plate

1. the long narrow strip of steel plate projecting upwards at the edges of superstructure deck to prevent water from flowing over 2. towing plate

fitter

a skilled person who assists in machinery overhaul and carry out welding and machining work

Fixed Freight Agreement

option contract on freight rates traded on Baltic Exchange, through which shippers and shipowners hedge against the volatility of the ocean freight market. It is a principal-to-principal contract used by two parties to bet on the price of a particular freight-route on a particular date. FFA for short

fixture

indicates a ship has been fixed for employment

fjord

a long, narrow and deep gulf of sea common in Norway; also written as fiord

flag of convenience

a foreign flag under which a ship is registered for the purpose of avoiding taxation, etc.

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary flag of registry

indicates the nationality of the vessel, i.e., the country in which the ownership of the vessel was registered; the flag is usually displayed on the stern

flag state inspection

an inspection of a vessel by a surveyor who is authorised by a flag state; the purpose is to check on its compliance with the flag state and the local ports' rules and regulations

flame screen

wire mesh made of high heat conductivity material and fitted around opening, such as air vent heads of fuel tanks, leading to atmosphere; it acts as a safety measure to prevent any flame from emitting out of the opening in case of fire within

flanking rudder

additional rudder, usually in pair, fitted forward of the propeller to improve manoeuvrability; provide steerage when tug goes astern

flare

1. distress signal which burns brightly upon activation for a short period to attract attention; 2. up-and-outward spread of the hull form at the top near the bow

flash point

the lowest temperature at which a liquid must be heated to give off a vapour that will ignite when a flame is applied under standard conditions

flat rack

an open type container with no sides or top; made up of a flat bed and two upright ends, it is designed for carrying cargoes such as vehicles, machinery, etc.

flatten aft

to pull in the sheet

floating dock

a floodable vessel generally of U shaped form which can be flooded to lower the entire structure below the keel of the ship to be docked; or pumped out to raise the structure and with it, lift the docked ship above water level for repair; also written as floating drydock compare dry dock

floodable length

the maximum allowable length of a compartment that can be flooded without submerging the margin line; the ship is to maintain upright with no heel

floor

the transverse plate which crosses the longitudinal girders and stiffens the bottom plating; also known as floor plate compare keelson

flotsam

goods and ship's gear that remain afloat after shipwreck

fluke

the hook of an anchor

FOB

Free On Board, a shipping term in which the exporter is responsible for clearing the goods for export and placing the goods onboard a ship at the designated port; once the goods are over the ship's rail, the importer or buyer has to bear all costs and risks of loss or damage to the goods

fog bell

a bell rung by a ship anchored in fog at regular intervals

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary fog horn

a device used to emit horn; for use especially in fog

forced draught

combustion air for boiler furnace supplied under pressure from a forced draught fan

fore

forward part of a ship opposite of aft

fore and aft

in the lengthwise direction of a ship running from stern to stem

forecastle

the watertight superstructure raised above the upper continuous deck at the forward end of a ship; usually used as storerooms for mooring ropes, paint, deck stores, etc.; sometimes abbreviated as foc's'le compare poop

forefoot

position where the heel of the stem connects to the keel

foreign going ship

ship that trades in foreign ports of other countries

foremast

the ship's most forward mast

forepeak

the enclosed space immediately forward of the fore collision bulkhead; usually used as ballast tank compare aftpeak

forestay

stay or rope that is secured forward of the mast to support the latter against forces acting in the aft direction

forty footer

a popular term for 40 feet long container; commonly abbreviated as FEU which stands for Forty-foot Equivalent Unit

forward perpendicular

represented by a vertical line at the intersection of the designed load waterline and the forward side of the stem; FP for short

founder

to fill with water and sink due to loss of stability

four-stroke cycle

the cycle of operation completes in two revolutions of the crankshaft, ie air intake or suction on downward stroke of piston, followed by compression on upward stroke, firing & expansion on next downward stroke, and finally exhaust on the upward stroke again; the complete cycle is done on four separate strokes of the engine piston compare two-stroke cycle

four-stroke engine

an internal combustion engine which works on four-stroke cycle, ie power is developed once every four strokes compare two-stroke engine

FPSO

stand for Floating Production Storage and Offloading; FPSO is a specialised

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary vessel moored at sea to receive the crude oil directly from seabed, and provided with means to process, store and offload oil to conventional tankers coming to it; compare to FSO , it incorporates production facilities fracture

describes break or partial break of steel

frame

stiffening members placed at equidistant and to which the plating of a ship is attached

frame spacings

equidistant intervals between successive frame rings in the ship's fore and aft line

framing

system of stiffening the shell, bottom, side and deck plating of a ship by intersecting strength members

fray

to become worn, thin or untwisted at the edge of rope, awning, etc.

free air delivery

describes the volume of air delivered by air compressor at ambient temperature and pressure; it is a measure of compressor capacity; FAD for short

free in and out

a shipping term in which the shipowner does not pay for expenses at the loading port ("in") and the discharging port ("out"); in cases where the shipowner pays for loading and discharging, it is known as gross terms

free in liner out

of freight rate, the freight is inclusive of carriage and cost of cargo discharging, i.e. unlike liner terms, it does not include the cost of loading; FILO for short; also known as free in liner terms discharge or FILTD for short compare liner in free out

free port

a port where goods may be stored temporarily and duty-free pending re-export or sale within that country; also known as free trade zone or free zone

free pratique

official permission from the port health authorities that the ship is without infectious disease or plague and the crew is allowed to make physical contact with shore; otherwise the ship may be required to wait at quarantine anchorage for clearance

free surface effect

adverse effect created by liquid shifting in a partially filled tank when afloat; when the liquid moves as the ship rolls and pitches, its centre of gravity changes and this affects the centre of gravity of the entire ship; a virtual reduction of the metacentric height follows which reduces the ship's stability

free time

period between the time a ship is ready to load or discharge after giving notice of readiness and the time laytime is due to commence

freeboard

the height of the ship's side that is above the waterline; statutory freeboard is the vertical distance measured from the upper edge of the assigned deck line to the upper edge of the load line; this calculated height governs the maximum quantity of cargo a ship can legally take

freeing ports

openings cut in the bulwark to free the deck of water

freight

1. cargo carried on a ship; 2. charges paid for the carriage of cargo from one place to another

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary freight forwarder

one who arranges shipments of cargoes on behalf of others

freight rate

fee payable to the carrier for the transportation of cargo from one place to another

freight statement

a freight invoice issued by the Owner which requires payment prior to release of the bill of lading

freighter

any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another

fresh water allowance

1. amount that load lines assigned for sea water may be submerged when loading in fresh water; 2. amount by which the ship would submerge when going from salt water to fresh water

fresh water generator

equipment for producing fresh water from sea water during voyage; it may use the waste heat from main engine's jacket cooling water to evaporate sea water in a vacuum condition and then condensing the steam to produce distilled water

friction stir welding

designed mainly for aluminium welding, the very high speed rotation of specially profiled tool generates heat and causes the metal to be joined to soften and flow in the solid state to effect welding

friction winch

winch with two grooved drums arranged in line to run the rope using friction and one larger drum to reel in the rope for storage; the crushing pressure of the running rope under tension is taken by the grooved drums directly without deforming any wire beneath as in conventional winch; also known as twin-drum capstan

FSO

stand for Floating Storage and Offloading; FSO is a specialised vessel moored at sea to receive stabilised crude oil directly from seabed, and provided with means to store and offload oil to conventional tankers coming to it; unlike FPSO , it is not equipped with processing facilities

fuel cell

a device that generates electrical power by electrochemically combining hydrogen and oxygen gases to produce water and heat; the energy released is tapped by electrodes as electric current; this technology is considered "green" i.e. environment friendly

fuel valve

a valve which injects highly pressurised fuel oil into the cylinder of a diesel engine for combustion; also known as fuel injector

full container load

maximum quantity of cargo which fills a container to capacity either by weight or volume; FCL for short

full flow filter

filter that has the capacity to take the full discharge from a pump see by pass filter

fumigate

to destroy the vermin or insects in a ship's superstructure or cargo holds using the fumes of certain chemicals

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Funnel

a metal chimney made of pipe through which exhaust gases of engines or boilers are led out of the machinery space to the atmosphere

furnace

combustion chamber of a boiler into which fuel is injected for burning

fuse

device for protecting against an overcurrent fault in an electrical circuit; when overcurrent occurs in a short circuit, the fuse elements within melt due to overheating and open the faulty circuit; compare to a circuit breaker, it operates faster at very high speed (a few milliseconds) in the event of high overcurrent; however, it does not function well at small overcurrent

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

G Term

Definition

gale ballast

ballast sea water which is taken in the cargo holds or tanks of a large bulk carrier or oil tanker when it is sailing in a ballast voyage; this increases its draught and hence improves its stability when sailing through a heavy weather

galley

the cooking compartment in a ship

galvanic series

series obtained by measuring the electrode potentials of more important metals and alloys based on more realistic environmental conditions and arranging them in order of their magnitude compare electrochemical series

galvanometer

instrument for detecting and measuring electric current in a circuit; it can either be used as an ammeter or voltmeter

gangway

a portable bridge made of aluminium, steel or wood linking shore to ship, or ship to ship

gantline

a rope used in conjunction with blocks and tackles to assist in the hoisting of sails and rigging; in the case of a "dummy gantline", it refers to the short length of line running through the mast when a telescopic topmast is housed

gantry crane

a mobile crane with a span across several rows of containers; used in container terminal to move and organise the containers

garboard strake

the strake or line of next plates running in the fore and aft direction next to the keel

gas master

an officer on a gas ship under first mate who is fully in charge of cargo operations, cargo tanks, their piping and accessories; examples of gas ship are LNG carrier, LPG carrier, etc; also known as gas engineer

gasket

a thin sheet or disc, made of specially designed rubber or fibre based material, used for sealing a joint between two metal surfaces to prevent oil, water, steam or any fluid from escaping

gear

generally used to mean fittings, tools, equipment, or any part of a machinery

geared ship

ship equipped with own derricks or cranes for cargo operations opposite of gearless ship

gearless ship

ship which is not fitted with own derrick or crane; shore cranes will be required at ports for cargo operations opposite of geared ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Gencon

the codename given to a standard form voyage charterparty published by BIMCO for general purpose use

general arrangement plan

plan of a vessel showing a side view and several plan views at different decks; the drawing provides general details of the ship such as dimensions, number of cargo holds, tanks and cranes, layout of the cabins in each deck, etc.

general average

general indemnity made by all interested parties concerned for a maritime loss incurred voluntarily but necessarily for the safety of the remaining property when in peril

general purpose rating

a rating who is trained to work on deck as well as engine room

general service pump

a pump that can be used as a fire pump or ballast pump or cooling water pump by simply changing the inlet and outlet valves connecting to the different systems; usually it is a centrifugal pump

genoa

fore triangle sail used in the Mediterranean sea on small sailing boats; the name derives from the port of Genoa in Italy

Germanischer Lloyd the German Classification Society or GL for short gimbals

a mechanism, consisting of two rings pivoted at right angles, which allows the compass or chronometer to maintain at all times in horizontal plane regardless of the vessel's movement

girder

a long strong steel beam of H section used for keelson and framework where considerable strength is required; generally run in the fore and aft direction under a deck to support deck beams and deck; the girder, in turn, is supported by widely spaced pillars

girding

capsizing of a tug by the vessel it is towing; also known as girting

gob line

a length of rope used in a tug to pull in the tow line so as to control its movements; it serves to act against capsizing the towing tug; also known as gog line or stop rope

gob plate

plate with pad eye on the main deck of a Offshore Supply Vessel to hold the tow wire

gooseneck

1. solid fitting which connects the end of a boom to the pivot; 2. bend at top of a pipe such as air vent pipe on deck

GPS

stand for Global Positioning System; generally used to refer to GPS receiver or GPS navigator

GPS navigator

essentially a GPS receiver with additional function - able to calculate and display solutions to waypoint navigation problems

GPS receiver

an electronic device which receives and decodes the GPS satellite broadcasts and displays position, course and speed of the ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary grain capacity

the cubic capacity of a cargo hold when the length, breadth and depth are measured right up to the plating; in this case, the cargo is free-flowing and is capable of filling the spaces between the ship's frames; sometimes known as Grain Cubic see bale capacity

grapnel

a steel device with several hooks on one end and an eye on the other; used for retrieving or clawing purposes

grating

a framework of crossed or parallel metal bars, placed across an opening or as flooring on platform eg a catwalk, to allow air to flow freely or to allow view below walkway

gravity tank

tank positioned at a certain height to maintain supply at a required pressure without use of pump

greaser

an engine room rating whose duties include lubrication, cleaning, etc.; also known as oiler or wiper

Greenwich Mean Time

the time by the sun as measured at Greenwich, England; GMT for short o

Greenwich meridian the line of 0 longitude which passes through Greenwich, England; also known as first or prime meridian grommet

1. ring made from a single rope strand; 2. brass eyelet formed in a canvas; 3. soft rope ring used as a gasket under a nut or bolt head to maintain watertightness

Gross Register Tonnage

gives the total internal volume of the vessel in one hundred cubic feet, less the volume of certain exempted spaces which provide comfort to the crew and ship's safety; also known as Gross Tonnage or GRT for short

ground tackle

an arrangement of anchor and its associated tackle, which are deployed in the seabed during a salvage work, to provide additional pulling power when refloating a vessel aground

guard rail

permanent railing, usually made of steel pipe, fitted on outboard edge of a deck to prevent person from falling over the ship's sides

gudgeon

a block with a hole in the centre to receive the pintle of a rudder; located on the stern post, it supports and allows the rudder to swing

gudgeon pin

horizontal pin by means of which a piston is attached freely to a connecting rod in a diesel engine

gunwale

the upper edge of the side of a small ship or boat, or upper edge of bulwarks in bigger ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary gusset plate

bracket plate used to tie together and reinforce two structural members in a framework; usually triangular and can be found at corners

guy

a rope used to steady and control the lateral swing of a boom or derrick

gybing

allowing the wind to shift to the lee side of the sails and blowing across the vessel

gypsy

a sprocket in the windlass for connecting the links in anchor chains; used for lowering and hauling in the anchor

gyro compass

mechanical compass which consists of a gyroscope rotating at a very high speed; set to point continuously to true north rather than magnetic north

gyro repeater

electrically operated instrument to repeat the indication of the master gyro compass at a remote location

gyropilot

instrument fitted with a gyroscope and designed to maintain the vessel's sailing direction automatically according to a given setting by controlling the steering gear; also known as Automatic Pilot

gyroscope

a very fast spinning wheel mounted in gimbals in such a way as to achieve freedom of movement of its axis in any direction, i.e. it can maintain its direction in space unless disturbed by external forces; use in gyro compass

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

H Term

Definition

Hague-Visby Rules

a set of internationally-agreed rules governing the contracts for carriage of goods by sea ("COGS"); the rules agreed in 1968 came from the amendments made to the 1924 Hague Rules; the latter was drafted in Brussels in 1924 and its official title is "International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bill of Lading"

halyard

ropes for hoisting sails, yards, flags, etc.

Hamburg Rules

adopted by International Conference, UNCTAD in 1978 and came into force in 1992; some major changes on Hague & Hague-Visby Rules and the rules strongly feature African nations; they apply to both imports and exports, and covers shipment of live animals and deck cargo; radically alter the liability which the shipowners have to bear for loss or damage to goods in the courts, in those nations where the rules apply

handy billy

small tackle to assist in light lifting jobs

handymax

a dry bulk vessel with deadweight between 35,000 to 50,000 tons

handysize

a dry bulk vessel or product tanker with deadweight between 15,000 to 50,000 tons

harbour

a port or area protected from the open sea by land or walls, in which a ship can lie safely

harbour launch

a small boat that operates within or in the vicinity of a harbour

harbour master

an official in charge of a harbour

hardening

a heat treatment process for making metal hard enough to cut other metals and resist wear; as with annealing, after first heating the metal to a certain temperature, the metal is quenched rather than allowed to cool slowly

hatch

opening in deck that provides passage for cargo into hold or access for worker; also known as hatchway

hatch beam

removable transverse beam placed across the hatch to support portable wooden hatch covers and improve strength

hatch coaming

raised plates stiffened and constructed around a hatch or rectangular opening in deck

hatch cover

cover to maintain weathertightness of the hatch; for large hatch e.g. cargo hold, it may consist of simple lift-away pontoon covers or the hydraulic-operated folding covers which are faster and more efficient

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary hawse pipe

steel pipe through which the hawser or cable of anchor passes; located in the ship's bow on either side of her stem; also known as chain pipe

hawser

large steel wire or fibre rope used for towing or mooring

hazmat

short for hazardous materials

head charter

original charter in a series of sub-charters, i.e. the charter between the shipowner and the first or head charterer

head line

line that runs out from the bow of a vessel to a fixed point ahead when warping

head reach

distance travelled by vessel from the time when the "Full Astern" telegraph order is given until the vessel comes to a complete stop in the water

head sail

any sail set forward of the foremast

headlog

vertical steel plate at the extreme fore and aft end of a barge or river craft that connects the deck and the rake shell plating; usually constructed with thicker plate to better withstand impact damage during operation

heat engine

device that converts heat into work, e.g. a heated, expanding gas enclosed in a cylinder moving a piston

heat exchanger

generic name for an equipment which transfers heat from one hotter medium to a lesser one; in recuperative type, both fluids are made to flow through opposite side of chambers or channels without mixing while the heat is being exchanged; two common types are plate heat exchanger and tubular heat exchanger; based on its use, it usually takes on a more specific name, e.g. condenser, evaporator, cooler or heater

heater

heat exchanger in which the cooler liquid is heated up after absorbing heat from the heating medium such as steam; examples of its use on board are fuel oil heater, pre-heater for purifier, etc.

heave

1. describes the vertical, up-and-down motion of a ship; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves; 2. to lift something compare pitch, roll, surge, sway, yaw

heave to

to bring the ship's head to wind and sea

heaving line

a small and light line that is used to link up two points for the purpose of passing, e.g. a mooring line from ship to shore or an item to another ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary heel

1. of a ship, to list or incline to one side; 2. transverse inclination due to wind pressure, weight shift or rudder action; 3. the corner of an angle, bulb angle or channel, commonly used in reference to the moulded line

helical gear

gear with teeth at its rim cutting an angle to the axis

helm

1. tiller or wheel by which a rudder is controlled; 2. machinery for controlling a rudder; 3. duty of controlling the rudder o

o

helm indicator

instrument with a pointer over an arc graduated from about 36 port to 36 starboard to indicate the rudder's angular position; also known as rudder angle indicator

high cube

any container with external height greater than the standard 8 feet set by ISO, e.g. 8 feet 6 inches, 9 feet or 9 feet 6 inches

high speed engine

refer to diesel engine operating with rotational speed above 1000 rpm

hitch

a knot or noose in a rope which can be readily undone and intended for a temporary fastening, e.g. half hitch, clove hitch, timber hitch, etc.

hogging

describes a state of a ship when she is drooping at the fore and aft ends and bending upwards in the middle; this induces compression of the bottom and tension of the upper deck opposite of sagging

hold

internal compartment in a ship where cargo can be carried

holystone

soft white sandstone used for cleaning wooden decks by scouring

hook to hook

describe the period from the time the cargo comes within reach of a vessel's tackle until the cargo leaves it at the discharging port

hopper

funnel-like container with a tapered construction at its bottom; used when loading or discharging bulk cargo

hopper barge

barge designed for dredging operation; it has hinged flap doors at the bottom of the compartment which carries the dredged mud and sand; after each loading, the barge is taken to deeper water to dump the dredged material

horsepower

a measure of the work done in a given time; 1 horsepower is equivalent to 33,000 foot-pounds per minute or 745.7 watts; it is the unit of power in the English system of units and commonly used to measure the output power of marine engines; hp for short

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary hose test

a weathertightness test of the hatch cover system using a water jet see chalk test, ultrasonic test

hot work

any work which has an ignition source or a temperature sufficiently high to cause the ignition of a flammable gas mixture, eg welding, gas cutting, electric driven hand tools, etc.

house bill of lading

document issued by a consolidator to each exporter in the consolidated shipment; also known as groupage certificate

hovercraft

a ship which has its weight fully supported by an air cushion to reduce the hull resistance when moving through water; the air cushion is created by centrifugal lift fans blowing air into the under space bound by a skirt; this type of ship is known as surface effect vessel or SEV for short

huffler

a temporary hand when sailing through difficult or constrained waters such as a bridge

hull

the body of a ship

hydraulic starting

this system uses a hydraulic cranking motor instead of electric starter motor to run up the engine during starting; the driving force is stored in a hydro-pneumatic accumulator rather than a battery; the accumulator is used to store up the potential energy by pumping in oil with a hydraulic hand pump to compress the pre-charged Nitrogen gas from 100 bar to 200 bar

hydrofoil

a fast boat designed to have its hull lifted clear of the water surface and supported by foils or wings when it reaches cruising speed

hydrography

the science of survey, measurement and description of the oceans and seas, especially for navigation purposes; the information collected is presented in the form of charts, sailing directions, tide tables, etc.

hydrometer

an instrument for measuring the relative density of liquids

hydroscopic cargoes

mainly agricultural products containing natural moisture such as grains; they may absorb, retain or release moisture depending upon the surrounding atmosphere; on a voyage from cold to hot region, these types of cargoes do not need ventilation and from hot to cold region, surface ventilation is needed

hydrostatic curves

a set of curves which plot the hydrostatic quantities such as displacement, centre of flotation, centre of buoyancy, transverse metacentre, etc against the draught; these curves are useful for quick assessment of the draughts and the initial stability in various loading conditions

hygrometer

an instrument for measuring the relative humidity of air or gas

hygroscopic cargo

cargo which readily absorbs, contains and gives off moisture, such cargoes are mainly of vegetable origin, e.g. grain, flour, tobacco, etc.

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I Term

Definition

ice breaker

ship designed to clear a navigable channel in ice; the bow is specially strengthened and shaped to break the ice sheet

Ice Clause

one of the sundry clause that may be found in charterparty covering cases in which a ship or port may be ice bound

icebound

vessel locked in by ice and cannot move

idler

crew member who works only in the day time and does not keep night duty; also refers to those off duty or watch and not engaged in ship's work

ignition point

the lowest temperature at which a substance will ignite and burn; this is usually higher than flash point

ignition temperature the temperature, which a substance must be raised to, for it to ignite IMO number

unique number issued by International Maritime Organisation or IMO to each ship for identification purpose

impeller

rotating part of a centrifugal pump, fan or compressor which is fitted with a number of vanes to impart centrifugal force to the fluid being pumped; it can be radial flow, axial flow or mixed flow design

impingement

describes a condition during injection, whereby excessive velocity of fuel spray causes fuel to contact diesel engine's piston crown and liner with possible localised burning

in way of

in the vicinity of; in the area of

inboard

inside the ship; towards the centreline opposite of outboard

Inchmaree Clause

named after a ship, this marine insurance clause was introduced in 1887 to insure against damage caused by crew negligence

inclining experiment

a heeling experiment conducted to determine the height of the centre of gravity of a ship in light condition; this serves to provide stability information for the completed ship when the newly built ship is near completion, the experiment is carried out by moving a known weight transversely across the deck through a known distance to measure the amount of inclination resulted; the data measured is then used to calculate the transverse and longitudinal centre of gravity

indicated horsepower

the power indicated in the cylinder of a reciprocating engine as measured using an indicator diagram; ihp for short

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Indirect towing

method used by tug to exert dynamic forces on the tow line substantially beyond its static bollard pull; e.g. using a tug's weight and bulk or by turning obliquely to a tow line to produce additional forces to stop or turn a ship under way

initial survey

survey of a ship's hull and machinery by classification society's surveyors in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate convention so that the relevant certificates may be issued for the first time

inland carrier

a transportation line which hauls goods between ports and inland locations

Inmarsat

provider of maritime satellite communication service; originally established in 1979 as an intergovernmental body under the auspices of International Maritime Organisation (IMO), it was privatised in April 1999. Inmarsat A and B are direct-dial voice telephone, facsimile, telex and data transmission while Inmarsat C is for text and data transmission only.

inner bottom

a watertight plating covering the top edges of keelsons and floor plates, the lower edges are welded on the outer bottom or ship's bottom, i.e. inner plating forming the top of the double bottom; also known as tank top

Institute Warranty Limits

trading limits imposed by the hull insurers on the ship e.g. restricted to areas free from ice hazards; IWL for short

interceptor

a device for controlling the running trim of a high speed craft, similar to a trim tab; it is a vertical plate fitted to the transom that can be adjusted vertically; as the plate protudes below the hull it "intercepts" the waterflow creating high pressure on the hull, thereby lifting the stern of the vessel

Intercoa 80

the codename given to a standard tanker contract of affreightment issued by INTERTANKO in October 1980

intercooler

cooler used between various stages of a machinery, as in first and second stages of an air compressor

intercostal

longitudinal girder between the floors or frames of a ship; it is non-continuous

intermodal transport

describe a shipment which involves sea and inland transport

intrinsic safety

of electrical and electronic circuits and instrument, a built-in characteristic in which any spark or thermal effect produced under normal or abnormal condition will not be capable of igniting a given gas mixture

ISM code

International Safety Management (ISM) code was completed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) with the objectives to ensure safety at sea, the prevention of human injury or loss of life, and the avoidance of damage to the environment and property.

isochronous rolling

of a ship, occurs when the period of each roll is the same

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J Term

Definition

jacket

outer casing enveloping a diesel engine's cylinder or pipe to form an annular space; for the cylinder, the annular space is used for circulating cooling water; in the case of pipe, it may function as a protective casing to contain high pressure leakage from pipe rupture

jackstaff

a short staff at the bow of the ship for flying flag; is is usually erected at top of the stem

Jacob's ladder

ladder made of rope with wooden rungs, eg pilot ladder which is used over the ship's side for embarkation and disembarkation of pilots

jetsam

goods which have sunk or washed ashore after being jettisoned by a vessel in peril

jettison

deliberate act of throwing goods or fittings overboard in an effort to preserve the ship in peril

jettison clause

clause in a voyage charterparty which stipulates the circumstances under which a master can jettison goods from a ship

jib

1. the lifting arm of a crane; its lower end is pivoted and its upper end has a pulley for lifting heavy goods; also known as derrick; 2. triangular fore and aft sail in front of the foremast

jig

a device for holding a piece of work in position and guiding the tools that are working on it; may be used when drilling, welding, etc.

Joule

the unit for energy or work and is equivalent to a force of one Newton acting on a mass through a distance of one metre in the direction of the force, ie 1 J = 1 Nm

journal

1. log book for recording daily events; 2. that part of a crankshaft which rotates in a bearing

jumbo derrick

a derrick designed for lifting heavier loads

jump ship

to absent oneself from a ship; the said crew then becomes an illegal immigrant in the country without proper document

junction box

enclosure for joining electrical cables

junk

large Chinese sailing ship made of wood

jury sea anchor

emergency sea anchor improvised from available material at hands, e.g. heaving line with one end fastened to a bucket

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

K Term

Definition

Kamsarmax

refers to a new class of ships which is larger than Panamax and are suitable for berthing at the Port of Kamsar, Guinea where the major loading terminal of bauxite is restricted to vessels not more than 229 metres overall length

kedge anchor

small anchor for kedging purpose

kedging

using a small anchor to move a vessel from point to point or off a bank by first laying out the anchor and then heaving to it

keel

a line of plates running along the centreline of a ship's bottom forming the backbone of the ship frame; usually thicker than other plates beside it

keel block

adjustable block which the centreline ship's bottom rests on when in dock; many blocks are required to spread the weight of the ship evenly to prevent damage to ship's bottom plating; position of keel blocks is recorded so that in the next docking, keel plates not maintained in one docking can be taken care of

keel cooler

cooler designed to be built into the keel with the cooling water coming from the sea water flowing underneath the keel; generally used in vessels with shallow design draught for sailing in river, etc.

keel rider

a plate fitted on top of the vertical keel plate in a single-bottom ship

keelson

the longitudinal girder which crosses the transverse floor plates and strengthens the ship's bottom

Kelvin

unit of temperature which has the same scale as Celsius degree; zero Kelvin, also o known as absolute zero, is equivalent to -273 C

kenter shackle

a detachable shackle which is used to join two forged anchor chain links together

ketch

a sailing boat with fore and aft rig on each of two masts

kevel

large bitt or cleat used for fastening large-sized ropes

king post

a strong post for derrick; also known as samson post

knee

triangular steel plate or bracket for interlocking two structural members perpendicular to one another

knot

a unit of speed; one knot is equivalent to one nautical mile per hour

knuckle

the sharp change in the direction of plating or other structural member of a ship

Kort nozzle

a circular ring-like nozzle fitted around a propeller to increase thrust at low speed; the thrust may increase up to 40 percent when manoeuvring ahead

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

L Term

Definition

laden leg

describes the loaded part of a voyage

lagging

heat insulation material to minimise heat transfer; used in steam pipes, exhaust pipes, boiler, cold room, etc.

Laker

a ship capable of transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway locks to trade in the Great Lakes between USA and Canada; the maximum beam and draught allowed in the lock is approximately 23.15 m and 26 feet fresh water respectively - this is equivalent to ship with a deadweight of about 20,000 tons

lands

of piston, the vertical surfaces between the piston rings and also of the piston crown

lane metre

describes the capacity of a roll-on/roll-off vessel or ro-ro ship in term of the total length of lane for stowing vehicle on board

lang lay rope

rope in which the laying direction of the completed strands are similar to the direction of twisting of each wire together to make the strand compare regular lay rope

langam

intentionally sunken artifacts intended to be recovered at a future time or circumstance

larboard

obsolete term for port which is opposite of starboard

larnyard

a cord or rope used for securing purpose, eg hanging a whistle around the neck

LASH

stand for Lighter Aboard Ship; a specially designed ship to transport loaded dumb barges on board

lashing

1. the act of tying objects together or securing them in position; 2. also refers to the rope used to do that

latent heat

the amount of heat required to change the state of a substance from a solid to a liquid, or from a liquid to a gas; this heat cannot be detected by thermometer since there is no change in termperature

latitude

the distance of a position north or south of the equator, measured in degrees and minutes

launch

1. to get a ship waterborne; 2. small ship used in harbour to ferry crew or others to and from shore

lay up

to take a ship out of service by anchoring or mooring at economical location; minimal crew is kept on board if the period is long

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary lay-by berth

berth for waiting until a loading or discharging berth is available

laycan

a ship chartering term which stands for laydays commencement and cancelling; specifies the earliest date on which laytime can commence and the latest date, after which the charterer can opt to cancel the charterparty

laydays

days allowed for cargo operation in a charterparty, i.e. laytime calculated in the number of days

layering

separation of fuel oil mixture of different densities into two layers in a tank

laytime

time allowed by the shipowner to the voyage charterer to carry out the cargo loading and/or discharging operations; laytime may be expressed as a certain number of days or number of tons of cargo loaded/unloaded per day see average laytime, reversible laytime, non-reversible laytime, all purposes laytime

lazarette

1. storage compartment for keeping provisions; 2. ship where people in quarantine are segregated

lead

a weight made of lead and tied with a scaled line that is used to measure the depth of water or find out the nature of seabed; pronounced led

lee

the area or side providing shelter against the wind

lee shore

shore that is on the leeward side of a ship, i.e. her downwind side

leeward

the area on the lee side

leeway

the distance a ship is pushed off its heading by the action of wind

length between perpendiculars

the length of a ship between the forward and after perpendiculars; commonly abbreviated as LPP or LBP

length overall

the extreme fore and aft length of a ship measured from the foremost point of the stem to the aftermost point of the stern; commonly abbreviated as LOA

let fly

to let go the sheets; given as a form of salutation or in an emergency

letter of indemnity

document whereby the issuer undertakes to renounce any claim which may arise in specified circumstances

letter of protest

a written declaration that is intended to record complaints concerning any operational matter that is performed by a recipient or other party; it is not a legal document, but simply a report of operations, contractual agreement, etc. that have gone wrong; it serves to protect the Master from any blame in the case of mishandling of cargo, delivery of wrong fuel, violation of regulations, berths unclear, equipment that has become inoparative, etc. In practice, it can be served by various parties of the vessel when a dispute arises

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Lien

the legal right to keep possession of somebody's property till debt owed in connection with it is settled

life-saving appliances

appliances carried on a ship for life-saving purposes, for example, lifeboat, liferaft, lifebuoy, lifejacket, etc.; LSA for short

lifeboat

a small boat carried on a ship and designed to sustain lives of crew and passengers if the ship has to be abandoned at sea; required to be provided onboard ocean going ships

lifebuoy

a ring made of buoyant material which is thrown overboard to rescue a person who has fallen into water; the ring is specially designed to keep the person afloat until he can be recovered from the water

lifejacket

a buoyant jacket which is worn to keep a person afloat in water; can be made of kapok, cork or other equally buoyant material, or of inflatable type

lifeline

1. any rope or line thrown overboard to rescue a drowning person; 2. any line attached to a person for safety reasons

liferaft

life saving vessel that can be either of the rigid or inflatable type; in the inflatable type, the raft has a protective canopy to preserve the lives of persons in distress in the event of abandon ship; designed to automatically inflate and float free when the ship sinks; compulsory for ocean going ships

lifting gear

general term for derrick, crane, tool or equipment used to lift and move weights

light ship

a cargo ship when empty of cargo

lighter

a dumb barge for transporting goods to and from ship to lighten her for sailing in shallow water

lighterage

1. charges paid for the use of a lighter; 2. loading and unloading of a lighter

lightship draught

draught when ship is empty and deadweight is zero

lightweight

the weight of a ship complete with outfit and propulsion machinery, and ready for sea but without fuel, fresh water, stores, provisions, passengers or cargo on board; also known as Light Displacement Tonnage compare deadweight

limber hole

a small drain hole cut in a frame or plate to prevent water or oil from collecting

liner

1. refers to a ship calling same ports regularly; 2. renewable metallic sleeve inserted in a cylinder and designed to take the wearing action of a reciprocating piston

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary liner conference

a group of carriers, which are operating scheduled liner services between designated ports, joined together for the purpose of establishing common freight rates; this can be open conference or closed conference

liner in free out

of freight rate, the freight is inclusive of carriage and cost of cargo loading, i.e. unlike liner terms, it does not include the cost of discharging; LIFO for short compare free in liner out

liner tariff

a list of charges published by a liner conference for typical commoditities transported by the line and the port of calls; also known as conference tariff or freight tariff

liner terms

of freight rate, the freight is inclusive of carriage and cost of cargo handling at the loading and discharging ports

list

to heel or lean over to one side; a transverse inclination of a ship

littoral

sea area lying between a coastline and 100 fathom line

Lloyd's Register of Shipping

the British Classification Society or LR for short

load line length

means either 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the foreside of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, whichever is the greater. In a vessel designed with a rake of keel, the waterline on which this length is measured should be parallel to the design waterline.

load lines

the lines which are marked and painted amidships on each side of a ship to indicate the maximum permissible draughts of loading adjusted for various seasons and zones; also known as Plimsoll marks, so named after Samuel Plimsoll, a British Member of Parliament who introduced and promoted its widespread use in 1875 TF: Tropical Fresh water line; F: Summer Fresh water line; T: tropical load water line; S: Summer load water line; W: Winter line; WNA: Winter North Atlantic Line; the letters beside the circular marks indicate the assigning authority, e.g. AB refers to American Bureau of Shipping, etc.

local time

refers to the time in a particular port or country

log

instrument for measuring the speed of a ship and/or the distance run through water

log book

a journal which is used to record any event that may have occurred on board; for example, engine room log, deck log, GMDSS log, official log, etc.

longitude

the distance of a position east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees and minutes

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary longitudinal

1. of longitude or direction lying in the fore and aft line of a ship; 2. refers to any structural member of a ship in the fore and aft direction compare transverse

longitudinal bulkhead

bulkhead lying in the fore and aft line of a ship

longitudinal framing

system of framing or stiffening the shell of a ship's hull in the fore and aft direction compare transverse framing

longitudinal stress

stress experienced by a ship's structure in the fore and aft direction; this is induced with the hogging and sagging of a ship's hull

longshoreman

labourer who loads and discharges cargo at a wharf or dock side; another name for stevedore, especially in USA

Loran

stand for Long Range Aid to Navigation; an obsolete electronic navigation system

louvre

an opening for ventilation purpose which has vanes fitted one on top of the other and sloped at about 45 degrees to keep out the rain

low speed engine

refer to diesel engine operating with rotational speed below 150 rpm

lower explosive limit the limit below which, the concentration of hydrocarbon gas in the air mixture is considered to be "too lean" i.e. insufficient hydrocarbon to support and propagate combustion; commonly abbreviated as LEL ; also known as lower flammable limit or LFL for short compare upper explosive limit LSD

Lashing, Securing & Dunnaging, a shipping term where cargo is loaded, discharged, stowed and trimmed free of expense to the shipowner

lubber

describes a fellow who is clumsy and awkward

luff

1. leading edge of a fore and aft sail; 2. weather side of a ship opposite of lee

luffing

the lowering and raising motion of a jib pivoted at the lower end; when the load is maintained at constant height automatically during luffing, it is known as level luffing compare slewing

lug

temporary or permanant hook provided in the ship's structure for lifting applications

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary lugsail

a square sail with its spar attached to the halyard closer to one edge, making the sail tilt to one side

lumpsum

fixed amount irrespective of the quantity

lumpsum charter

vessel charter which pays a fixed sum for a specified cargo capacity

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

M Term

Definition

magnetic equator

an invisible line that connects all points on the Earth's surface where there is no magnetic dip

maiden voyage

the first voyage of a new ship after taking delivery from the ship builder and placed in regular service

main deck

the continuous deck that extends between the forward and after ends of a ship

main engine

generally refers to the propulsion diesel engine that propels a ship

Malaccamax

describe a maximum hull form capable of transiting the Straits of Malacca fully loaded; the maximum draught and beam allowed in the strait is approximately 21 metres and 60 metres respectively with a deadweight of 280,000~300,000 tons or in terms of TEU, not exceeding 12,000

manhole

an opening in an enclosed compartment, or boiler fitted with a cover, through which a man can enter for inspection

manifest

a document listing the cargo or passenger carried on a ship; contains cargo details, ship's particulars, master's name, etc.

manifold

group of valves placed together side by side; the valves may share a single cast body divided into several compartments for individual piping

manilla rope

a rope made of manilla hemp which is produced from a species of banana; it is lighter than hemp rope but stronger; as it contains natural oil, it does not require tarring

manometer

an instrument for measuring gas pressure

margin line

line drawn parallel to, and not less than 3 inches below, the upper surface of bulkhead deck at the ship side; it defines the highest permissible location on the ship side of any damage waterplane in the final condition of sinkage, trim and heel

margin plate

plating forming the side of double bottom

marine diesel oil

a black heavy distillate fuel containing small percentage of residual fuel; commonly abbreviated as MDO compare marine gas oil

marine gas oil

a lighter and better grade fuel than marine diesel oil; no heating is required before using; MGO for short

marine insurance broker

one who acts as an intermediary between shipowner and underwriter; he acts for the assured and his commission is deducted from the premium paid by the assured to the insurer

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary marine surveyor

one who inspects ships to assess, monitor and report on the condition of the ship, her machinery and cargo; depending on the type of survey carried out, the evaluation requirements may be statutory, class, marine insurance, etc.

mariner

in general, a person working onboard a sea-going ship

marline spike

a hand-held iron pin for opening up the strands of a rope when splicing; it is tapered to a point at one end

martingale

stay used to restrict upward movement of a jib boom by leading downward

mast

a vertical pole made of steel pipe erected perpendicular to the keel in the centreline of a ship; it serves to carry derricks; supports navigation light, signal light, etc at certain height

mast staves

pieces such as strips of shaped wood used to create a hollow mast

master

the officer in command of a merchant ship; also known as captain

master mariner

the deck officer holding a master's certificate in a merchant ship; he is qualified to command a ship

mate

deck officer assisting a master; there may be several officers such as Chief Officer, Second Officer or Third Officer in a merchant ship

mate's receipt

document signed by the mate of a ship acknowledging receipt of the stated cargo on board

mean draught

the average of forward and aft draughts of a ship

medium speed engine

refer to diesel engine operating with rotational speed between 300 to 1000 rpm

meridian

an imaginary line on earth joining the north and south poles, and cutting across the equator at right angle; it is a line of longitude see Greenwich meridian

mess deck

deck on which the crew's mess room is located

mess man

one of the crew who works under the supervision of the First Cook and performs various tasks such as cleaning and routine hygiene maintenance of various equipment

mess room

a place where crew members take their meals

messenger

small diameter rope attached to a heavier rope such as towing line to facilitate heaving

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary metacentre

a theoretical point when dealing with ship stability for small angle of inclination from upright position; consider a floating ship heeling to a small angle, the centre of buoyancy B will shift towards the newly immersed side to B1, and the vertical line of force through this new centre of buoyancy B1 will intersect the original line of force when the ship is upright at M, known as metacentre

metacentric height

the distance from the centre of gravity of a ship to the metacentre; it is considered positive if the metacentre lies above centre of gravity

midship

in or near the middle of a ship; same as amidships

midship section coefficient

the ratio of the midship section area of the underwater body of a ship to the rectangular area having the breadth and draught of the section; also known as midship coefficient CM = midship section area BxT

mini-bulker

a smaller sized bulk carrier of about 3000 tons deadweight

mizzen mast

third mast from the bow in a sailing ship with three or more masts

molasses

thick dark liquid extracted from sugar beet or sugar cane; heavier than water and require heating to maintain pumpability

MOLOO

short for More Or Less Owner's Option which means that the owners have option to ask for any percentage of cargo as stated in fixture note

monkey fist

the weighed down knot at the end of a heaving line

monkey island

navigating and compass position on top of the wheel house

monsoon

persistent wind blowing mainly in China Sea and Indian Ocean; direction of wind reverses depending on season and may be accompanied by heavy rain especially during summer

moon pool

a large opening through the deck and bottom plating of a ship for special operational requirement, e.g. drilling

mooring

securing a vessel to a buoy or strong point ashore e.g. bitt by ropes; at anchorage, by dropping anchor

mother ship

deepsea vessel which carries cargo transhipped from feeder ships; as such, it calls only at selected major ports which have higher cargo volume

motor tanker

refers to any self-propelled tanker, i.e. tanker fitted with diesel engine for propulsion; commonly abbreviated as MT

motor vessel

refers to any self-propelled vessel, i.e. vessel fitted with diesel engine for propulsion; commonly abbreviated as MV

mould

of shipbuilding, the template from which a member of a ship's structure is shaped

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary mould loft

a large sheltered space in a shipyard for laying off full-size templates or moulds of the hull structural components from the construction plans

moulded breadth

the transverse distance between the moulded or inboard surfaces of the side shell plating measured at the widest portion of a ship's hull; used in calculations compare extreme breadth

moulded depth

the vertical distance measured at the sides from the baseline to the moulded line of the upper deck at midship compare depth

mousing

act of passing a few turns of yarn round the open part of a hook for safety to prevent unhooking

mud box

small perforated, screening box fitted to end of suction pipe to keep out larger solid waste from choking the pipeline and damaging the pump

mudhole

small hand hole in lower part of boiler shell for cleaning purposes

multi-cat

a multi-purpose work vessel in the offshore industry which is built with a simple rectangular pontoon hull and a long open foredeck resembling a small pusher tug; its shallow draught is suitable for marine construction and harbour work

multimeter

a multi-purpose instrument for measuring electric current in ampere, volt and ohm; it is a combination of ammeter, voltmeter and ohmmeter into one

multimodal transport

describe a shipment having more than one mode of transport, which may not necessarily include an ocean voyage

multipurpose ship

ship designed to carry several types of cargo either as one full cargo or in combination, e.g. ore/oil carrier, ro-ro/container ship, passenger/vehicle carrier, etc.

muster

to assemble at a pre-determined location

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

N Term

Definition

NAABSA

stand for Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground; this term may be negotiated when a ship calls at a port where it is impossible for the vessel to remain always afloat, e.g. due to low tide in a port where the seabed consists of soft mud

nadir

point in the celestial sphere diametrically opposite zenith

nautical mile

a nautical mile is equal to one minute or one sixtieth of a degree of latitude; value varies from 6,046 feet on the equator to 6,108 at the poles; for practical purposes, a standard of 6,080 feet or 1,853 metres is used; also known as sea mile

naval architecture

the art and science of designing and constructing vessels

navel pipe

steel pipe through which cable passes and leads down to the chain locker; also known as spurling pipe

Navtex

a radio communication system for broadcasting navigational information to ships on 518 kHz; the receiver on board the ships automatically print out the maritime safety information without human intervention

neap tide

tide which has the lowest range between high and low water; occurs at first and last quarter moon compare spring tide

negative slip

the actual distance travelled by a ship is greater than the theoretical distance calculated by the number of revolutions and pitch of the propeller

negligence clause

clause in a voyage charterparty which attempts to relieve the shipowner or carrier of liability for losses caused by the negligence of his servants or agents

neobulk

shipments which consist wholely of units of a single commodity, such as vehicles, lumber or scrap metal

net charter

charter in which all port and cargo handling charges between the first port of loading after delivery by owners and the last port of discharge before redelivery to owners, will be paid by the charterer; in this case, the freight paid to shipowners is approximately net

Net Register Tonnage

refers to Gross Tonnage less spaces which are not allowed for the carriage of cargo or passengers; also known as Net Tonnage or NRT for short

neutral axis

an imaginary plane within a beam or other structural member under stress that is not subjected to tension and compression

neutral stability

describes the state of flotation of a ship which will remain in the deflected position if moved, i.e., it will not have a righting or capsizing moment

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary New Jason Clause

protective clause mainly for the shipowners entitling them to recover in general average even when the loss is caused by negligent navigation

nigger head

1. a British term for a black iron post for mooring ships, made from an old cannon partially buried muzzle upward, with a slightly oversized black cannon ball covering the hole 2. an old sailors' term for an isolated coral head; they are notorious as navigation hazards 3. old U.S. Navy term for a small winch, a capstan

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai

the Japanese Classification Society or NK for short

non-reversible laytime

laytime in which the loading and discharging times are calculated separately, and demurrage and despatch are also calculated separately for loading and discharging ports opposite of reversible laytime

normalising

a heat treatment process similar to annealing except that the metal cools more quickly to increase the strength, toughness and hardness; the metal is allowed to cool in still air rather than in the furnace

Norman pin

pin or roller that is erected at the tug's after bulwark, one on each side to restrict the tow line's movement and prevent it from passing over the vessel's beam; also known as Molgogger or simply stop pin

note of protest

a written declaration by the Master of circumstances beyond his control which might have given rise to suspecting damages to the ship

notice of readiness

notice presented to shipper or his agent by masters or ships' agent stating the readiness of the arrived ship to load; it determines when the time starts to count; NOR for short

notice to mariners

weekly notices concerning changes in navigation matters that are used by mariners to keep their charts updated regularly; NTM for short

NVOCC

stand for Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier; it is defined in the United States Shipping Act 1984 as a "...common carrier that does not operate the vessels by which the ocean transportation is provided, and is a shipper in its relationship with an ocean common carrier."

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

O Term

Definition

OBOs

Ore/Bulk/Oil carriers - one of the various types of combination carrier

off hire

period of time during which a vessel under time charter is unable to meet the requirements agreed between the charterer and shipowner due to some reasons within the control of the latter; in this case, e.g. machinery breakdown, the charterer is not required to pay hire money

official number

a registered number issued by a flag state to all merchant ships

ohm

the practical unit of electrical resistance and is equivalent to 1 ampere of electric current flow at a potential drop of 1 volt

Ohm's Law

A basic law of electricity which states that the current (I) flowing through a resistance (R) is directly proportional to the potential difference or voltage (V) applied across it; named after George Simon Ohm (1787~1854), a German mathematician; this is expressed by the following formula: V=IxR

ohmmeter

an instrument for measuring the electric resistance in ohm

oil mist detector

safety device for detecting dangerous accumulation of oil mist in diesel engine crankcase; the oil mist may be a result of hot spot arising in the bearings; the heat generated from the hot spot may cause the lubricating oil to evaporate into gaseous particles and also act as an ignition source for the oil mist to explode under certain conducive conditions; the resulting explosion is known as crankcase explosion

oil record book

a mandatory logbook for recording the handling of oil, sludge and oily water to and from a ship; this is usually maintained by Chief Engineer for Oil Record Book part I; in the case of tanker, there will be an additional record book - Oil Record Book part II - which will be maintained by Chief Officer; it is one of the many countermeasures against marine pollution

oily water separator

a specially designed filtering equipment in multiple stages to separate and remove the oil content in bilge water such that the final discharge is less than 15 p.p.m.; an environmental protection measure enforced by international regulation and compulsory on most ships

old man

an informal name given by seamen to the Master of a ship

olefins

class of unsaturated paraffin hydrocarbons obtained from petrol

open charter

a ship hiring contract or charterparty with the nature of cargo or destination ports not specified

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Open circuit

an electrical circuit fault that occurs when a break in the electrical conductor causes the current to stop flowing see short circuit

open conference

one type of liner conference which does not restrict new members joining the group compare closed conference

opposed piston engine

internal combustion diesel engine having two pistons moving in opposite direction in each cylinder; suction, compression, expansion and exhaust occurs between the two pistons

ordinary seaman

a most junior seaman who works in deck department and has not yet qualified as able seaman; OS for short

orlop deck

a partial deck below the lower deck; this term also applies to the lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks

out of gauge

refers to shipment where it is loaded on flat rack container; OOG for short

outboard

outside the hull; away from the centreline; towards the side of a ship opposite of inboard

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

P Term

Definition

P & I Club

Protection and Indemnity Association/Club of shipowners to offer mutual indemnity against third party claims and against risks not normally covered by marine insurance

packet

an obsolete term referring to ship which carries passenger, cargo and mail on a regular run; also known as packet ship or packet boat

pad eye

a fitting having one or more eyes or rings to which a block, wire rope or fibre line can be secured

painter

a short piece of rope, attached to the stem of a small boat, for making her fast or towing

Panama Canal boat spar

spar fitted to the lower end of the accommodation ladder to facilitate small boats and tenders to remain safely alongside to transfer personnel

Panama Canal tonnage

tonnage calculated based on Panama Canal regulations for the main purpose of determining the ship's canal transit tolls

panama lead

a special fairlead at ends of a ship for use when being towed during the transit of Panama Canal

panama plate

a metal plate bolted to the lugs of a fairlead to prevent hawser or warp jumping out

Panamax

describe a class of ship size with the maximum dimension capable of transiting the Panama Canal; the maximum beam and draught allowed in the canal is approximately 32.3 metres and 12 metres fresh water respectively; equivalent to a ship with deadweight of about 55,000 tons

panting

describes the pulsating, in and out movement of ship's plating subjected to variations in water pressure, especially during heavy weather as the ship alternately rises and plunges deep into the water

panting beam

beam placed from shipside to shipside to support the shell plating against panting

panting frames

frames placed in the forward and after sections of the hull to resist the panting action of the shell plating

pantry

small compartment close to galley, for keeping food in

parallel middle body

the midship portion of a ship which maintains the cross-sectional shape of the underwater hull form throughout its length; sometimes known simply as parallel body

particular average

a partial loss of the insured subject caused by a peril insured against, other than a general average loss

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary pawl

a pivoted 'crawl' that catches the teeth of a rack or wheel to prevent reverse movement; during running, it rides over the teeth and drops down to engage the teeth by gravity or spring when the motion stops

payload

generally refers to maximum cargo load permitted to carry in a vessel, container, etc.

peggy

a nickname for mess man, so called because old sailors with peg kegs would do this job

pelican hook

a hinged hook designed to open readily

pendant

1. a short length of wire or fibre rope connected to the end of the tow line which passes through the fairleads and around the bitts of a tug to resist wear and chafing; 2. also refers to long tapering four-sided flag known as pennant

pennant

1. long tapering four-sided flag with the wider vertical end known as the head beside the mast and the narrower end known as the fly away from the mast; the top and bottom sides taper uniformly towards the centre line; 2. a short length of wire or fibre rope connected to the end of the tow line to resist wear and chafing; also known as pendant

periodical survey

survey of a ship's hull and her machinery by classification society's surveyors at regular specified intervals in order to maintain her assigned class

permeability

of a space in a ship, the percentage of that space which can be occupied by water; this factor affects the damaged stability of the ship when watertight integrity of its hull is breached

permissible length

the closer the spacing of transverse watertight bulkheads, the greater the degree of safety for the ship; permissible length is therefore a fraction of the floodable length

personal watercraft

a vessel, generally less than 16 feet in length, which uses an inboard motor powering a water jet pump as its primary source of power; it is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel rather than the conventional method of sitting or standing in the vessel; they are often referred to by their brand names, e.g. Sea-Doo, Jet Ski or WaveRunner, manufactured by Bombardier, Kawasaki and Yamaha respectively; PWC for short

petcoke

carbonaceous solid residual by-product of the oil refining coking process; short for petroleum coke

petty officer

a crew member who ranks between officer and rating, and is in charge of the ratings

pH

a measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution; a pH value of 0 indicates extreme acidity while a pH value of 14 indicates extreme alkalinity; pure water is neutral and has a pH value of 7

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary pier

structure built from the shore and into the water to allow boats to berth on either side

pigeon hole ladder

hole ladder recessed in side shell of barge; used at anchorage to climb up the side shell to the deck

pilferage

petty theft which involves the stealing of small parts of a shipment as opposed to the theft of a whole shipment or large unit

pillar

vertical member or column supporting the decks, beams or girders

pilot

a qualified person having local knowledge of navigation hazards, is authorised to guide ships in and out of a port or channel

pilot station

position at sea or ashore where pilots are stationed and ready to board vessel for pilotage

pilotage

1. fee charged by pilots for services rendered; 2. services provided by pilots

pintle

vertical pin on a rudder's forward edge that enables the rudder to hang onto the stern post and swing when it fits into the gudgeon

piston

of diesel engine, a cylindrical metallic block with a few grooves cut around the circumference at the top edge; acting together with the piston rings in the grooves, it serves to seal the compressed intake air and combustion gases in the cylinder above it and transmit the expanding gas forces downward to turn the engine via the connecting rod

piston crown

upper section of a two-piece piston; the upper surface facing the combustion space is either concave or convex which is self-supporting, i.e. rigid enough to withstand the repetitive combustion forces without giving way; the piston is usually made in two sections for diesel engine with higher power output see piston skirt

piston skirt

lower section of a two-piece piston; the piston is usually made in two sections for diesel engine with higher power output see piston crown

pitch

1. describes the motion of a ship about her transverse axis; this causes the forward and aft ends of the ship to rise and fall repeatedly; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves; compare heave, roll, surge, sway, yaw 2. distance between centres of successive holes or rivets; 3. distance between the centres of successive threads

pitch ratio

of propeller, the ratio of pitch over diameter

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary pitot tube

tube with right angled bent and open at both ends

pitting

small pits or cavities formed on the surface of metal by corrosion or erosion

planform

profile of a foil or sail

plank

long narrow piece of flat timber, e.g. for making or covering decks

plank holder

the first crew to take a new ship to sea

planking

wood covering for decks, etc.

podded propulsion

in this propulsion system, the propulsor with direct connection to an electric drive system is mounted inside a pod located beneath the hull; since only electric cables are required to be led to the pod(s), there is flexibility to position the electric generators in the ship

polarisation

of galvanic cell, occurs when current flows in the cell making the anode less anodic and the cathode less cathodic; this reduction in electrode potential causes a smaller net current to flow and therefore a smaller corrosion rate

pollywog

person who crosses the equator line for the first time

pontoon cover

a lift-away hatch cover which is lifted off the coaming by a vessel or shore crane to provide access to the cargo hold

poop

the watertight superstructure raised above the upper continuous deck at the after end of a ship; usually forms part of the accommodation compare forecastle

port

1. harbour where goods from ships can load and discharge; 2. an opening in ship's sides to allow air or light to enter; 3. left side of a ship when looking forward towards the bow; opposite of starboard

port clearance

a document from port authority certifying that a ship has clearance to leave a port

port dues

charges related to a ship's use of port

port hole

round opening in the sides of a ship; normally kept weather-tight by transparent glass cover with sealing arrangement; provides natural lighting and also ventilation when necessary; also known as air port or port light

port limit

the invisible boundary set around the sea area of a port; within which, any ship calling the port shall be under the jurisdiction of the local port authority

port state control

random inspections carried out by maritime authority of the ports concerned; the purpose is to evaluate the arrived ship's hull and machinery condition from a safety and environment protection point of view; they are independent of classification survey; PSC for short

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary portside

left side of a ship when looking forward towards the bow

positive displacement pump

one broad category of pump designed to positively displaced liquid from the suction to the discharge side by mechanical variation of the volume; it is characterised by its self-priming action; examples of such pump are reciprocating pumps using piston or plunger in a cylinder, and rotary pumps using gear, screw or vane to force the liquid through

positive slip

the actual advance is less than the theoretical advance of ship

post fixture work

work as stipulated in the charterparty which needs to be done after the contract has been agreed, e.g. notices of arrival, disbursements, freight computation, orders to the ship's master, bunkering, etc.

post meridian

after noon, or p.m.; also written as post meridiem

Post Panamax

describe a vessel whose size do not allow it to transit Panama Canal unlike Panamax vessel; maximum size of this class built has a length overall, beam and draught of approximately 300 metres, 43 metres and 14.5 metres respectively

potentiometer

instrument for obtaining a variable voltage from a constant voltage source by varying the resistance connected across the electric supply; sometimes known as potential divider

premium

the cost of insurance, which is usually computed at certain percentage of the shipowners' declared valuation

pressure switch

a switch sensitive to pressure variation; a bellow inside senses a pressure change and through pivot arrangement causes electrical contacts to open and close to start and stop machinery; like a thermostat, the on/off contacts can be wired to start and stop pumps, compressors, fans, etc.

preventer

a rope used to steady and control the vertical movement of a boom or derrick

primer

first coating of paint applied to steel plate to prevent corrosion

prismatic coefficient

the ratio of a ship's displaced volume of water to the volume of a prism having a length equal to the length of the ship and a cross-sectional area equal to the ship's maximum midship sectional area CP =

immersed volume L x Midship Sectional Area

product tanker

a type of tanker designed to carry refined oil products such as gasoline for motorcars, gas oil or diesel oil for industry, naphtha for petrochemical industry, aviation fuel, kerosene, etc.; this kind of tanker usually has large number of cargo tanks capable of handling several different grades of oil at the same time; also known as product carrier

proof load

the load applied to an item under controlled testing; varies from 10% to 100% in excess of the item's normal load

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Propeller

a hub with three or more blades projected from it and secured to the aft end of the propeller shaft by key; when the shaft is rotated by engine, the blades cut the water developing a thrust that propels the ship it is designated right-handed when the propeller turns clockwise when viewed from aft, and left-handed when turning anti-clockwise the tip of the blade is the point furthest from the hub while the root is connected to the hub face of the blade is the after surface and the working surface of the blades, opposite is the back of the blade leading edge is the edge of the blade that cuts the water first when moving ahead; opposite is the following edge

propeller pitch

distance advanced by one complete rotation of the propeller if there is no slip

protecting agent

agent appointed by shipowners to protect their ship's interests at times when the charterers use their own agents in ports; also known as protective agent

provisions

supplies of food and drink for a voyage

prow

old name for stem or bows

psychrometric chart

special chart which is plotted to give the relationships between air temperatures, its relative humidity and absolute humidity

pulpit

guard rail round the bow of a yacht

pump

equipment that transfers fluid from one place to another over a distance; it can be of two major types - positive displacement pump or rotodynamic pump

pump room

compartment in a tanker where cargo oil pumps for cargo discharge are located; formed by fore and aft oiltight bulkheads, usually located just forward of the engine room and aft of the cargo oil tanks

purifier

a rotating machinery for separating two liquids of different specific gravity or solids from liquid by the use of centrifugal force; the mixture is rotated at several thousand revolutions per minute within a bowl and the heavier the fluids or solids the further away from the centre of rotation achieving separation; usually used to purify fuel oil or lubricating oil for diesel engine use; also known as centrifugal separator compare clarifier

purser

officer on a ship who is in charge of accounts and stores, especially on a passenger ship.

purser's moon

rudimentary candle supplied to British seamen by the purser

push knee

structure mounted on the hull of a tug for pushing barges; it is designed to minimise contact damage to both vessels

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary push tug

a tug designed for pushing dumb barge instead of towing; advanced design may employ special mechanical locking arrangement at the bow to engage the barge quickly and efficiently

pusher tug

tug designed for pushing barges; generally it has a rectangular hull with squarish bow above the waterline; the bow is strengthened with two or more vertical push knees fitted with heavy fenders; to ensure good view over the barges being pushed, the height of the wheel house is often higher than conventional tug

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

Q Term

Definition

quarantine

a period of isolation of a ship coming from a port having contagious diseases to prevent the disease from spreading to the port of call

quarter deck

upper deck at the aft end

quarter master

a senior rating who assists the officer on watch, steers the ship and keeps gangway watch; this role is now handled by able seaman

quickwater

the wash from a ship's propeller as the engine goes astern

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R Term

Definition

radar

stands for Radio Detection and Ranging; an electronic equipment that uses radio pulse to determine the bearing and distance to objects

rake

describes the fore and aft inclination from vertical, e.g. inclination of a funnel, mast, stem, etc.

ramp to ramp

signifies for ro-ro ship, loading and unloading of vehicles on board vessel is included

rating

a seaman other an officer

ratlines

short lengths of rope tied horizontally between shrouds to form rope ladder; ratlines serve as foot and hand holds when going aloft

reduction gear

mechanism for reducing the rotational speed of an input shaft to a lower speed at an output shaft, but with a greater torque

reef point

short line fitted through the middle band of sail for securing rolled-up sail when reefing

reefer

1. a ship which is equipped to carry refrigerated cargo as well as other cargo; 2. one who reefs a sail; see reefing

reefer compressor

compressor used in a refrigeration cycle to increase the pressure of a refrigerant gas; the compressed gas is then cooled in a condenser to liquid before continuing its passage to the cold rooms for evaporation

reefing

to reduce the sail's effective area by rolling up the sail and securing it using reef points

refrigeration

process of keeping the food or cargo cold and preserving its freshness by extracting heat from their surroundings and maintaining the desired temperature

register tonnage

indicates the measured total internal capacity of a vessel; used as a basis for assessing fees such as berthing at a pier, drydocking, transiting canal, etc.

Registro Italiano

the Italian Classification Society or RINA for short

regular lay rope

rope in which the completed strands are laid up in the opposite direction to the twisting of each wire together to make the strand; this increases its resistance to crushing compare lang lay rope

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary relative humidity

ratio of the actual amount of moisture in the air at a given temperature to the maximum amount of moisture that the air can hold at that temperature expressed in percentage; RH for short

rescue boat

a self-propelled, small boat designed to rescue persons in distress and to gather together the survival craft

reserve buoyancy

the volume of the enclosed spaces above the waterline; it may be expressed as a 3 volume in m or as a percentage of the total volume of the ship where reserve buoyancy = total volume - underwater volume

residual fuel

collective term for the residues remaining at the end of the crude oil refining process; heating is necessary for proper combustion

revenue

the basic income of a shipping company and forwarder to charge the break bulk freight based on the weight or measurement whichever is greater; it is also referred to as Revenue Ton

reversible laytime

laytime which allows the charterer the option of adding together the loading and discharging times; in this case, demurrage does not commence until the combined times exceed the total time specified for both operations opposite of non-reversible laytime

rhumb

1. a curve on a surface of a sphere, e.g. earth, which cuts all the meridians at a constant angle other than a right angle; the curve is also known as loxodrome; 2. any point of the compass other than a cardinal point

rhumb line

any part of a rhumb as projected on a chart

Rider clauses

a set of additional clauses which substitutes or supplements clauses in the standard charterparty form; this may be necessary as the original clauses may be obsolete or irrelevant to the needs of the parties

rider plate

a continuous flat plate forming the top or bottom of a girder

rigging

the ropes, wires, lashings, etc. used to support and work the masts, booms and sails of a vessel

righting lever

perpendicular distance between centre of gravity, G and the imaginary vertical line passing through the centre of buoyancy, B; it causes the floating body to right itself until both centres, G and B are in line, i.e. the lever becomes zero; commonly abbreviated as GZ

ro-ro ship

a vehicle carrier which is equipped with ramps at the ends to allow vehicles to 'rollon, roll-off'; it is built like a multi-storey carpark

roadstead

sheltered anchorage where ships may anchor and ride safely

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary roll

describes the motion of a ship about her longitudinal axis; this causes the ship to rock from side to side; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves compare heave, pitch, surge, sway, yaw

rose box

a perforated box fitted at the end of suction pipe to keep out material that may choke the pump; used in cargo hold bilges; also known as strum box

rotodynamic pump

one category of pump which comprises essentially centrifugal pump

rubbing band

a band of resilient material fitted around the hull to protect against contact damage

rudder

a device that is used to steer a ship; a common type has a vertical fin at the stern and able to move from 35 degrees port to 35 degrees starboard; rudders are characterised by their area, aspect ratio, and shape, e.g. balanced rudder, semibalanced rudder, unbalanced rudder or spade-type rudder; the leading edge is at the fore edge when the ship is going ahead and at the aft edge when the ship is going astern

rudder post

another name for stern post, i.e. the vertical member of the stern frame where the rudder is attached to it

rudder stock

the vertical shaft that connects the rudder to the steering gear

rudder trunk

small compartment located directly below the tiller and enclosing the rudder stock coming in from the hull external

running free

sailing with the wind abaft the beam

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S Term

Definition

sacrificial anode

anode attached to the surface of the metallic structure to be protected against corrosion by making the protected metal the cathode; this is one type of cathodic protection method which requires periodical renewal of the wasted anodes; common types are zinc anodes, magnesium anodes and aluminium anodes which can be found on the underwater hull, ballast tanks, etc.

safe berth

a berth where the ship can be protected from the hazards of the sea; SB for short

safe port

any port where a ship and its cargo can be protected from the hazards of the sea as well as perils of political, natural, or other nature

safe working load

the maximum load that can be safely carried without risk of deformation or fracture and should not be exceeded; SWL for short

safety harness

a system of belts, straps or restraints to secure a person against falling or to prevent injury

sagging

describes a state of a ship when she is bending downward in the middle and induces compression of the upper deck and tension of the bottom opposite of hogging

sale and purchase broker

one who acts as an intermediary between buyer and seller of ships; such broker may specialise based on the types of vessels e.g. tanker, bulk carrier, etc. or on the market segment e.g. newbuildings, second-hand tonnage or demolition (scrapping); commission for his services is usually paid for by the seller

salinity

a measure of the amount of salt dissolved in the water; indicates the saltiness of the water; with fresh water set at 1000 as a reference, sea water varies about 1026 depending on locality

salinometer

an instrument for measuring the proportion of salt in a given quantity of water

saloon

mess room for officers

salvage

1. the saving of a ship, cargo or any maritime property from danger of loss or destruction at sea; 2. an award or compensation to third party for saving maritime property from danger or loss; 3. may also refer to the saved property

salvage agreement

contract on the terms and conditions of salvage services rendered to preserve maritime property from peril at sea

samson post

a strong mast which supports a derrick

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary SART

Search and Rescue Radar Transponder, a safety equipment to give a clearer indication of the position of the vessel when activated by boosting the signal received by a searching radar; usually carried in pair for larger ships

saturated steam

generated steam that has the same temperature as the water from which it was formed

saveall

a receptacle or enclosure around air vent heads of oil tanks or around machinery such as windlass, winch, etc. to contain minor leakages

scantling draught

the maximum draught which meets the strength requirements; this is usually used when the draught corresponding to the freeboard computed according to the Load Line Convention is greater

scantlings

dimensions of ship's structural members, e.g. frame, beam, girder, etc.

schooner

one type of ship with two or more masts and sets of sails

Scotch boiler

a large diameter cylindrical boiler with three or four furnaces connected at the back end to form a combustion chamber; combustion gases coming from the individual furnace into the chamber then passes through smoke tubes to the funnel uptake; the boiler water immerses the furnaces, chambers and tubes; suitable for comparatively low pressure operation around 15 bar; for higher pressure application, water tube boiler is used; sometimes known as smoke tube boiler

scow

lighter with flat bottom

screw tug

tug with one or more screw propellers fitted at the stern and driven by nonsteerable propeller shafts

scud

fragments of swift-moving low cloud

scuffing

abnormal wear of two sliding surfaces due to lubrication failure; heavy abrasion may indicate micro-welding and fracture of the high contact points of both surfaces

scull

short oar shaped like a spoon and made for one-hand rowing

scullery

a place where the dishes, etc. are washed

sculling

propelling a boat by using a scull

scupper

hole in bulwarks to allow water on deck to drain overboard

scuttle

1. small opening in a ship's deck, side or compartment which can be closed by a shutter when required; 2. to make a hole in a ship's bottom to sink her

sea anchor

a drag of floating construction and is so shaped as to offer maximum resistance to sea when thrown over the vessel; used when anchoring is impossible and necessary to keep vessel head to sea; also known as drogue

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary sea chest

small underwater compartment within the shell plating through which sea water is drawn in or discharged; the sea water may be used for cooling the machinery systems

sea dog

an informal term for old sailor

sea protest

protest registered by a master before the competent authorities, e.g. notary public or Consul, to note any damage to the vessel or cargo during the voyage

seahorses

when the sea waves just begin to break on the surface generally with wind force BF force 4, the breaking waves are referred to as showing seahorses

seam

joint between longitudinal edges of plates or strakes placed side by side

seaworthiness

the fitness of a ship in all respects to cope with conditions likely to encounter at sea; this includes not only her hull and equipment, but also her crew competency, sufficient stores and bunkers quantity

segregated ballast tank

ballast water tank in a tanker which is completely separated from oil cargoes and fuel oil system and is permanently allocated to the carriage of ballast; this arrangement reduces the risk of pollution when deballasting; commonly abbreviated as SBT

self-priming

describes a pump that is able to retain sufficient liquid in the pump housing when stopped for priming purposes, i.e. it can take suction from a liquid located lower than the pump inlet without taking measure to flood the pump and expel any air

service tank

fuel tank provided in machinery space of motor vessel from which main engine directly draws its daily fuel consumption; heating of fuel oil by steam heating coils serves to maintain the fuel at working temperature; usually its fuel is continuously fed from purifier taking suction from the settling tank; use of purifier helps to accelerate the separation of water and solid contaminants by centrifugal force from the fuel

settling tank

fuel tank provided in machinery space of motor vessel to separate water contaminants from fuel oil by gravity; heating of fuel oil by steam heating coils helps to accelerate the separation process; usually designed with a capacity not less than 12 hours fuel consumption see service tank o

sextant

an instrument used for measuring altitudes and angles up to 120 to determine the position of a ship

shackle

1. metallic U-shaped round bar with eyes at each end; a pin can either be inserted through an eye and screwed into the other eye, or goes through both eyes and locked with a nut arrangement at one end; used for connecting purposes; 2. equivalent to one length of anchor chain, i.e. 15 fathoms

shaft

a rod or bar designed and built for transmitting rotary motion; shortened term for propeller shaft

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary shaft coupling

a fitting connecting two lengths of propeller shafting, for example, a rigid coupling using bolts to connect the flanges of the adjacent shafts solidly together

shaft generator

generator driven by main engine's shaft through appropriate gearing during voyage to produce electric power; part of measure to reduce fuel cost

shaft horsepower

the net power available at the propeller shaft after loosing some power to overcome the friction in the engine running gear, the reduction gears, thrust block or other transmission devices; thus, this is always less than the indicated horsepower, and for geared engines, this is also less than the brake horsepower; shp for short

shaft tunnel

enclosed space for the propeller shafting to pass through between the engine room and the stern gland; this tunnel is necessary in vessel with engine room located between cargo holds or forward

shank

the part of the anchor which connects the arms and the ring

Sharks jaw

line and chain-handling device fitted in anchor-handling tug forward of the stern roller to grip the chain or wire of a rig's anchor securely once it has been hauled onboard; when not in use, it is lowered down hydraulically and stored flushed with the deck; it may be used with two or more hydraulically operated stop pins; another design with the same function is known as Karmfork

sheave

wheel with a grooved rim in which a rope runs and changes its direction; used with block and tackle

sheer

the longitudinal upward rise of the weather deck from amidships towards the ends; this curvature increases the buoyancy at the ends and improves seagoing qualities of a ship compare camber

sheer plan

drawing showing the horizontal, vertical and longitudinal sections of a proposed vessel

sheer strake

uppermost row of side shell plating; usually thicker than the other strakes below it and consider one of the important strength structure

sheet

rope used to adjust and control a sail

sheeting

pulling in the sails

shell expansion plan

drawing showing details like welding seam and butt, thickness, and framing of all plates forming the shell plating of a hull

shell landings

points on the frames where the edges of shell plating are to be situated

shell plating

the plating that forms a ship's hull; this is further subdivided into side shell plating and bottom plating

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary shim

a thin flat piece of metal strip inserted between two contact surfaces to adjust the height of the affected component or equipment for alignment purposes, e.g. shims are commonly placed below the feet of electric motor to align its coupling with that of the pump being driven

ship chandler

a tradesman who assists ships in procuring, and supplies stores, food, tools, equipment, etc. to ships

ship husband

a person or agent appointed by the shipowner to seek his interest on his chartered vessel; he is invested with authority to make the requisite repairs, and attend to the management, equipment, and other concerns of the ship; he is usually authorized to act as the general agent of the owners, in relation to the ship in her home port

ship manager

one who is hired by shipowners to act as the executive in charge of managing a fleet of ships

ship's sweat

water droplets which condense on the ship's side and deck when a ship sails from a warm place to cooler places; this is due to the warmer air in the holds coming into contact with the cooler ship's structure compare cargo sweat

ship-handling

of tug's operations, providing assistance to ships with limited manoeuvrability in restricted waterways to proceed safely; e.g. berthing/ unberthing operations of larger vessels in port; sometimes known as shipwork

shipbreaker

one who breaks up old or unserviceable ships

shipbroker

1. one whose business is selling and buying of ships, i.e. sale and purchase broker; 2. one who serves as an intermediary between a shipowner and a shipper or charterer; commission upon successful fixture or fixing of voyage charters comes from the shipowner and not from the charterer

shipper

a person who puts his cargo on a carrier and is responsible for the payment of the transportation service rendered

shipping documents the various contracts or documents used for the transportation of goods from one place to another and their associated activities, e.g. bill of lading, profoma invoice, etc. shipping of green water

describes water coming onto the deck of a ship due to ship motion

shipwreck

the loss or destruction of a ship at sea

shipwright

one skilled in the building and repair of vessels

shipyard

a yard or place where ships are built or repaired

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary shoal

1. shallow water where the ground can be seen during low tide; 2. large number of fish swimming together

shooter

loading machine of bulk carriers

shore pass

a temporary identity paper issued by immigration authority to seamen when they step out of their ships to visit a foreign port

short circuit

an electrical circuit fault that occurs when a very large current bypasses or "short circuits" the load in the event of insulation damages causing two or more electrical conductors to come into contact with each other see open circuit

shroud

a rope or wire that supports a mast in athwartship direction compare stay

side boy

side honours are rendered to officers, officials, and select retirees as they arrive or depart the ship; side boys when called away, fall into formation facing each other, forming a passageway near the gangway, and salute in unison while the boatswain pipes, then drop their salute smartly.

side kick

an informal term referring to the connecting rod of a diesel engine flying out of its normal running locus due to some mechanical failure and damaging the engine casing, crankcase cover or door

side shell plating

refers to the shell plating forming the port or starboard vertical skin of a ship

simplex filter

single filter fitted in a pipeline to remove contaminants from a liquid see duplex filter

single screw

refer to a single propeller

single skin

of hull, the vessel is constructed without wing tanks and double bottoms enveloping the cargo tanks in the middle; usually used to describe tanker construction compare double hull

sister ship

a ship built to the same design, plan and dimensions as another

six degrees of freedom

describes the motion of a rigid body floating in waves compare heave, pitch, roll, surge, sway, yaw

skeg

deep and vertical fin fitted at the stern of barges in pairs to minimise yawing when towed astern of tug

skiff

small light boat

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary skipper

another name for master of a ship

skylight

opening in deck that admits light below deck; the covering fitted with glass sheet is usually hinged open to allow air to pass through in good weather

slagging

forming of hard deposits on boiler tubes or piston crowns due to high quantity of sodium and vanadium in the fuel used

slamming

pounding of the sea surface by the ship's forward bottom during pitching

slewing

the turning of a jib or crane about a vertical axis compare luffing

sling

a rope or chain in the form of a loop for lifting, lowering or supporting an object

slip

1. the difference between the actual distance travelled by a ship and the theoretical distance computed by the number of revolutions and propeller pitch; see negative slip and positive slip; 2. inclined ways, sloping towards water, on which ships are built and launched; also refers to inclined ways, fitted with wheels, which can be hauled up to expose the ship's bottom for repair and painting

slipway

inclined longitudinal timber support, on which a ship is built and launched, or repaired; the angle of inclination depends on the size of the ship

sloop

a single-masted sailing vessel with fore and aft rigging, a main sail and jib

slop tank

a tank in an oil tanker which is used to collect the oil and water mixtures from cargo tanks after tank washing

slot charter

voyage charter whereby the shipowner agrees to place a certain nember of container slot (TEU and/or FEU) at the charterer's disposal

sludge

deposits in fuel tanks formed by the presence of wax, sand, etc. in the fuel

sluice

a type of valve, in the form of a flat plate that moves perpendicular to the direction of flow it controls

Smit bracket

fitting welded on deck to enable towing connections to be made quickly and securely; the bracket consists of a large sliding pin to receive the eye of a tow line; often found in pair as standard feature on dumb barges; it was named after the inventor, Dutch towing specialist company, Smit International

snottledog

conical timber "plug" driven, in an emergency, into a hole in the hull to prevent the entry of water

snubbing winch

rotating and ratcheted drum used for winding sheet

SOLAS

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary solenoid

coil which produces an electromagnetic field when current flows through the windings; the coil is made of fine metallic threads made of copper or other highly conductive material and usually shaped like a cylinder

solenoid valve

valve which has a solenoid controlling its open and close actions

solvent

substance capable of absorbing another solid, liquid or gas to form a homogeneous mixture; usually a liquid

sounding pipe

a pipe that leads out of a compartment to deck; serves to allow a measuring tape or rod to access the compartment through it in order to find out the level of liquid in the compartment

sounding rod

a graduated weight that is attached to a line and used for measuring the depth of liquid in a compartment

spar

long round piece of timber; general term for boom, mast, yard, etc.

spar buoy

a long, thin buoy that floats upright in the water; acts as a navigational aid

spar ceiling

removable strips of timbers or battens fixed to the frames in the cargo hold to keep cargo away from the ship's sides; this promotes ventilation and prevents cargo damage by condensation and chafing

sparks

another name for radio officer

special survey

a thorough and complete examination, and tests at regular intervals for the renewal of classification with ship's classification society; usually carried out once every five-year period with an intermediate survey held once about the half-way point

specific gravity

of a substance, is the ratio of the weight of unit volume of the substance to the o weight of unit volume of water at 4 C

specific heat

the amount of heat required to raise a unit mass of a substance by a unit temperature

specific volume

amount of space occupied by a unit mass of a substance

spill pipe

overflow pipe

spinnaker

sail set forward of the forestay when wind is coming from astern or abeam

splice

1. join in a rope or cable made by interweaving the strands of both ropes; 2. to join two ends of ropes by splicing

sponson

1. outboard projection of upper deck for fitting searchlight, etc.; 2. fore and aft projection to protect paddle box

spontaneous the lowest temperature at which a material will burn without the introduction of an ignition temperature ignition source _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ www.m-i-link.com - Feature maritime directory, marine links, job centre, pro net, marketplace, event calendar, community, forum, dictionary, acronym, conversion calculator, quick reference guide, mariner's formulae, sea ports finder and more. © Copyright m-i-link.com

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary spot

a chartering term indicating the vessel is available almost immediately, i.e. can commence loading immediately after the charter has been fixed

spot cargo

cargo which is available for immediate loading

spot prompt

a chartering term indicating the vessel is available immediately, i.e. more immediate than spot

spout

loading arm made of pipe for delivering bulk cargo into cargo holds from shore

spreader

steel device which is used with crane or derrick to lift long or awkwardly shaped cargo safely without bending or flexing; also known as spreader beam

spring

of a tow line, one section of the rope forming part of a tow line that is used to provide some elasticity so as to reduce the shock loads during towing

spring line

line running out from after part of a vessel to a fixed point forward; it enables the vessel to shift forward when it is heaved in

spring tide

tide which has the highest range between high and low water; occurs at new and full moon compare neap tide

sprocket

any of the teeth in the rim of a wheel or drum that connects the links of a chain

spur gear

gear in which the teeth around its rim is cut parallel to the axis

squat

a condition that occurs when a moving ship goes through a sudden and marked change of trim with the stern going down rapidly and the bow moving up rapidly; the main cause of the change in trim is the magnitude of the bow wave; the squatting effect continues at a speed-length ratios from 1.2 to 1.8, the bow continues to rise and the stern levels off when the speed-length ratio reaches about 2.0 the speed-length ratio is given by L ÷ V

½

SSW

Summer Salt Water, it refers to the draught of the ship in salt water when it is loaded to its summer loadline in the open sea

stabiliser

a device used to reduce the rolling motion of a ship; may be active type such as active fins, or passive type such as bilge keel, fixed fins or tank systems

stability

the ability of a floating vessel to maintain upright or return to the initial upright position when disturbed by forces acting on it; e.g. heeled by the action of waves, wind, etc.

stanchion

vertical member such as pillar or beam that supports deck, guard rails, etc

standard compass

a magnetic compass specially located to minimise the effect of magnetic influence on its accuracy; used as a principal compass for navigation

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary starboard

the right side of a ship when facing forward towards the bow opposite of port

statement of facts

document for recording the dates and times of a vessel's arrival, and the commencement and completion of cargo operation for laytime calculation; SOF for short

static pull

of tug's operations refer to pulling against a more or less stationary object such as when trying to refloat a stranded vessel and sometimes during ship-handling work

statical stability

the tendency of a floating body to remain upright in still water and without any disturbance

statute mile

a legal unit of distance during the reigh of Queen Elizabeth I with a value of 5280 feet

stay

a rope or wire that supports a mast in fore and aft direction to prevent mast bending; the rope is tied from mast head to deck compare shroud

steamboat ratchet

a device using a screw thread to tension the steel wire ropes connecting the pusher tug to barge; this method is widely used in the USA

steamship

a ship propelled by steam-driven engine

steel works

of vessel, repair or rebuilding works concerning her metallic parts and accessories such as hull, deck, etc.

steerage

a certain degree of capacity by a vessel to steer her own course; lowest class of paying passengers on ships, below 3rd class or cabin passengers

steering gear

the complete machinery and arrangement which enables the steering wheel in the wheel house to control the position of the rudder; the main gear must meet certain performance requirements such as:o o a) capable of putting the rudder over from 35 on one side to 35 on the other when the ship is moving ahead at maximum service speed; o o b) capable of putting the rudder over from 35 on one side to 30 on the other in 28 seconds at maximum service speed

stem

the foremost rigid structure which the plating of both sides of a ship's hull is being attached as the hull tapers towards both fore and aft ends

stem bar

a solid round bar, fitted from the keel to the waterline, and a radiused plate is fitted above the waterline to form the upper part of the stem

stem knee

structural member joining stem and keel

stemming

maintaining position of the vessel when underway in the river stream or tidal current

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary stern

the after end of a ship; based on the different cross sectional shape, a ship may be described as having a counter stern, cruiser spoon stern, full cruiser stern, transom stern, etc. opposite of bow

stern gland

a stationary fitting provided at the aftpeak bulkhead to allow the tailshaft to pass through and at the same time to prevent the seawater from entering the ship

stern post

vertical member at the stern of a ship for carrying the rudder

stern roller

a large cylindrical roller fitted at the stern edge of an offshore tug's after cargo deck to allow various awkward and heavy objects such as chains, anchors, hoses, etc. to be hauled onboard without causing excessive damage to the stern

stern tube

a cast iron tube through which the tailshaft passes to the propeller; acts as an after bearings for the shafting and may be water or oil lubricated

stevedore

a person who loads and unloads cargo from a ship

steward

one of the crew member whose job is to serve the officers, crew, and passengers in a ship, and to clean and maintain the public and living spaces

stiff ship

a ship having a large righting moment of statical stability; i.e. the vessel tends to roll swiftly from port to starboard sides due to large righting lever when its equilibrium is disturbed opposite of tender ship

stiffener

structural member in the form of angle bar, T-bar, channel, etc. that are used to reinforce side shell plating, bulkhead, etc.

stock anchor

anchor with a cross piece, known as stock , fitted at its upper end at right angles to the line of the flukes; the stock prevents the anchor from turning and ensures that the flukes have a good hold on the seabed

storm oil

oil used to quell the waves in heavy seas and reduce the waves breaking on board; this is achieved by spreading animal or vegetable oil around the vessel

storm valve

one way non-return, water discharge valve

stowage

1. space where goods can be stowed; 2. the act of stowing goods

stowage factor

volume of space in cubic feet required for stowing one ton of a named commodity; includes dunnage and packing spaces as well as broken stowage; e.g. a cargo with SF 88 will occupy 88 cubic feet per ton

stowaway

a person who hides illegally in a ship before departure to get a free passage

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary strain

the deformation produced by a tensile or compressive stress; measured by the change, i.e. extension or contraction, per unit length

strake

panel of plating formed by plates joined end to end and running in the ship's fore and aft line

stress

deformation produced when a force is applied to a body; measured by load or force per unit section area

stress corrosion

corrosion accelerated by stress induced in the metal and often results in crack and failure

strike clause

clause in a voyage charterparty or bill of lading detailing options available to the parties involved in the event of a strike causing loss of time

stringer

longitudinal strength member bridging the frames

strongback

1. beam or spar placed in the fore and aft direction over a boat to support and slope the canvas cover such that no water may accumulate on it; 2. plate for aligning the edges of plates to be welded together; 3. steel bar for securing a closed door in addition to the dogs around its edges

strum box

a perforated metal box fitted around a bilge suction pipe opening to prevent debris from choking the pipe and bilge pump

stuffing box

a short sleeve with a bore in the centre through which a piston rod passes; pressure tightness between the rod and the sleeve is obtained by compressing packing or fibrous material with a retaining gland; used in machinery to prevent escape of steam or water

subdivision load line waterline used to determine the subdivision of vessel for compliance with SOLAS ; the deepest subdivision load line is the waterline which corresponds to the greatest draught permitted by subdivision requirements subrogation

the right of the underwriter to take the place of the assured against third party responsible for the loss after the assured has received his indemnity for the loss

substituted expenses

expenses incurred to avert or minimise loss for which the underwriter would be liable

Sue and Labour clause

clause which allows the assured to claim expenses incurred for averting or minimising loss or damage of ship and cargo when a casualty occurs

Suez Canal Net Tonnage

net tonnage of a ship passing through Suez canal, SCNT for short see Suez Canal Tonnage

Suez Canal tonnage

tonnage calculated based on Suez Canal regulations for the main purpose of determining the ship's canal transit tolls

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary Suezmax

a large tanker capable of transiting the Suez Canal fully loaded; the maximum draught allowed in the canal is approximately 52 feet 6 inches salt water - this is equivalent to about 150,000 deadweight

summer draught

the maximum permissible draught to which the ship may be immersed when arriving at any port located in the summer zone

sump

well for collecting oil; generally refers to the oil reservoir in the bottom of crankcase of a diesel engine; also known as sump tank

super cargo

an officer in charge of cargo stowage and discharge; in most ships, it will be the first mate

supercargo

a person who is responsible for the proper loading and discharging of cargo

superheat

additional heat given to steam to raise its temperature with the pressure remaining constant

superheated steam

dry saturated steam that is further heated to increase its temperature at the same pressure

superheater

a bank of steel tubes placed in the path of the exhaust gases from the furnace; the waste heat in the gases is utilised to heat up the dry saturated steam flowing through the tubes at constant presssure to obtain superheated steam

superintendent

person who manages technical and/or operational aspects of ships; may be further classified into marine superintendent or technical superintendent

supernumerary

one who handles extra operation on board in addition to the core crew which is required to maintain satisfactorily various vessel's operations

superstructure

any permanent structures above upper deck such as bridge,cabins,store rooms, etc.

surfactant

compound capable of reducing surface tension in liquid

surge

describes the "sliding" longitudinal motion of a ship; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves compare heave, pitch, roll, sway, yaw

survey

1. to examine and inspect condition of a ship's hull and machinery; 2. to take measurement and record features of seabed for charting

swash bulkhead

a bulkhead erected to reduce the swashing action of a tank's liquid content as a ship rolls and pitches at sea; the bulkhead is nontight and may run in the transverse or longitudinal direction

swash plate

1. baffle plate in a tank to reduce swashing action of a liquid - see swash bulkhead; 2. disc mounted at an angle on a revolving axis

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary SWATH

Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull - such design concept minimises the effect of waves on performance

sway

describes the "sliding" lateral, side-to-side motion of a ship; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves compare heave, pitch, roll, surge, yaw

sweet wire

a manilla-wire blend messenger that is stronger than conventional fibre wire rope; also known as Swedish wire rope

swell

large waves which occur in fine weather; generally due to effect of wind in the vicinity

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

T Term

Definition

tabling

folded or tape-reinforced edge of a sail

tachometer

1. instrument for measuring velocity and giving revolution per minute as indication; 2. name given to a 'counter' for indicating the number of propeller revolutions per minute

tack

1. the lower foremost corner of a sail; compare clew; 2. to make fast the tack of a sail; 3. indicates the wind direction relative to the sailing vessel's heading, e.g. starboard tack means the wind is on starboard side

tacking

turning the vessel's bow through the wind to change from one tack to the other compare wearing

tackle

arrangement such as blocks and falls to gain mechanical advantage for lifting and lowering heavy weights; also known as purchase

taffrail

rail above bulwarks around stern, usually as ornament

tailshaft

the after section of a propeller shaft that passes through the stern tube; its outboard end is tapered to take the propeller

tallying

procedure of checking the number of packages as they are loaded or discharged

tanker

vessel constructed to carry liquid in bulk

tanker barge

barge designed to carry oil in liquid bulk; also known as oil barge or tank barge

tare

the weight of empty container, packing case or wrapping; e.g. the tare of a shipping container is the weight of the container without its contents but including all fittings and equipment required for its normal operation

tariff

a list of prices charged by carriers for providing a transportation service

tarpaulin

a waterproof canvas used for covering hatches and for protecting against weather

telegraph

on a ship, it is a device with a lever for transmitting and acknowledging remotely the orders for engine movements; fitted in the wheel house where the order is given during manoeuvring, the engineers in the machinery space then acknowledge the order and adjust the main engine speed accordingly; the order may vary in steps from "Dead Slow", "Slow" and "Full" Ahead or Astern

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary telemotor

a steering gear for the remote control of rudder's position to effect steering of a ship; may be hydraulic or electric and used when the distance between the bridge and the steering unit is large; in a hydraulic system, turning of the steering wheel causes a control pressure to be transmitted by means of two small pipes to the control valves of the steering gear, which in turn moves the rudder

telescope

an optical instrument shaped like a tube for making distant objects appear bigger and nearer

telltale

device for indicating the position of a moving object, e.g. helm indicator showing the angular position of rudder

tempering

a heat treatment process to relieve extreme hardness and toughen

tender

small ship used to attend to larger ships

tender ship

one with a small righting moment of statical stability; i.e. the vessel tends to roll gently from port to starboard sides when its equilibrium is disturbed opposite of stiff ship

thermal conductivity property of a substance which measures its efficiency to conduct heat thermal efficiency

of an engine, is the ratio of work done by the engine to the available heat energy in the fuel consumed; for steam reciprocating engines, this may range from 11 to 13.5 per cent while diesel engines from 35 to 41.5 per cent, according to whether waste heat boilers are used

thermal relay

a device that uses the deflection of a bimetallic strip when heated to activate a control circuit, e.g. in a circuit breaker to trip an electrical circuit

thermistor

an electrical, temperature-sensing device made of solid semi-conductor materials; it has negative temperature coefficient of resistance, i.e. the resistance falls as the temperature rises, and the change in resistance is large for a small change in temperature; applications onboard include temperature measurement of bearing, stern tube and diesel engine

thermocouple

an electrical, temperature-sensing arrangement using two dissimilar metallic conductors which are joined at two ends to form junctions; when both junctions are exposed to different temperatures, a voltage proportional to the difference in temperature between the hot junction and the cold junction is generated and measured by a sensitive voltmeter to display the temperature

thermostat

a switch with contacts which open and close to start and stop machinery when temperature variation is sensed; like a pressure switch, the on/off contacts can be wired to start and stop pumps, compressors, fans, etc. or via other controls to adjust a valve or damper to control temperature

thimble

metal ring shaped to fit into the eye of a rope end so that the ring can protect the rope against chafing or damage caused by friction

thrust block

block designed to take the thrust of the propeller via the thrust shaft's collar

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary thrust shaft

steel shaft designed with a single thrust collar between the coupling flanges; fitted immediately aft of crankshaft, one end of its coupling flange is bolted to the crankshaft and the other end to the intermediate or propeller shafting; the collar, positioned between the thrust pads in the thrust block, transmits the propeller thrust to the ship's structure through the thrust block

tidal wave

sea wave of large magnitude and speed created by high winds e.g. during hurricanes rather than tidal action compare tsunami

tide tables

tables giving pre-computed times and heights of high and low tide at various selected parts of the world

tiller

a lever attached to the head of rudder for controlling the position of rudder to effect steering

time charter

a contract for the hire of a ship or charterparty for a specified period of time; the charterer pays for the bunker fuel, fresh water, port charges, etc. in addition to charter hire

ton

a measure of weight; equivalent to 2240 lb in Britain (long ton) and 2000 lb in America (known as short ton)

tonnage

size of a vessel, expressed in tons; not necessarily based on weight

tonnage deck

the deck that forms the uppermost limit when measuring tonnage; in single-deck or double-deck ships, it is the upper deck and in all other ships, it is the second deck from keel

tonne

metric unit of weight, equivalent to 1000 kilograms or 2,204.6 pounds; also known as metric ton

tonnes per centimetre immersion

number of tonnes required to change the draught of the vessel by one centimetre at a given draught; TPC for short; this is the metric equivalent to tons per inch immersion

tons per inch immersion

number of tons required to change the draught of the vessel by one inch at a given draught; TPI for short; this is the non-metric equivalent to tonnes per centimetre immersion

topmast

a smaller mast fitted on top of a heavier lower mast to fly more sail

topside tank

upper wing tank usually used for ballast in bulk carrier

topsides

that part of a ship's outer side shell plating which is above waterline

torsiograph

a graph indicating the vibratory movement of a shaft when it is vibrating torsionally

torsionmeter

an instrument for indicating the torque transmitted by a shaft; this is done by measuring the angle of twist over a calibrated length of shaft; this finding is used to calculate the shaft horsepower of a diesel engine

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary tosher

a very small tug used mainly to handle small craft or barges singly in the earlier days; also known as launch tug

total loss

loss of the subject insured completely or such that the subject has been severely damaged that it becomes valueless, ie either as an actual total loss or a constructive total loss resulting in the payment of the total sum insured under the policy

tow beam

tubular framework or guard bar erected at the tug's after deck to prevent the tow line from coming into contact with deck fittings or equipment

tow line

rope used for towing and can be made from fibre or steel wire; examples of manmade fibres are polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, nylon and aramid; also known as tow rope

towage

1. the charges for towing a vessel; 2. the act of towing

towage clause

clause in contract giving a ship permission to tow, or to be towed, under certain conditions

towing bridle

two short lengths of rope or chain forming a 'Y' shape used for towing purposes; carried by tug, it connects tug's the towing line and the vessel being towed

towing plate

heavy triangular steel plate connected to the apex of the towing bridles to complete the towing arrangement; also known as flounder plate or fish plate

tractor tug

a tug with its propulsion units (usually in pairs) mounted beneath the forward part of hull (about one third of its length from the bow) to effect better manoeuvrability

trade winds

fairly constant winds that blow continuously for long periods towards the equator and then to the west

tramp

cargo ship operating without regular runs or schedules, and not limited to any particular cargo

transducer

a device producing an electrical output signal in response to an input signal which may be in the form of applied force or displacement

transformer

stationary device for transforming electric power in one circuit to another; it consists of two coils which are not electrically connected, but are linked magnetically through a laminated core made of thin steel sheets

transhipment

transfer of cargo from one vessel to another

transom stern

stern that has a flat profile, built with athwartship plates; this reduces construction costs and increases deck area as compared with cruiser stern

transverse

at right angle to the fore and aft centreline compare longitudinal

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary transverse framing

system of framing or stiffening the shell of a ship's hull in the port and starboard direction compare longitudinal framing

trawler

a fishing boat which catches fish by dragging a trawl net along the sea bed

tribology

science of lubrication, friction and wear when surfaces 'rub' together; applies to the design of bearings, gears, slides, etc.

trice

to haul up by means of a rope and sheave

trim

indicates the difference between the forward and after draughts of a ship; when a ship is said to "trim by stern", the after end of the ship is deeper and when "trim by head", the ship is deeper in the forward end

trimaran

a boat built with three parallel hulls for greater stability

trimming

adjusting the cargo onboard to maintain ship's stability and to achieve a satisfactory sailing trim

trip charter

a ship hiring contract or charterparty with time charter terms despite having the voyage and expected duration specified; this reduces demurrage risk and commonly employed for fixing consecutive voyages or round voyage

tripping bracket

reinforcements in the form of flat bars or plates on deck girders, beams or stiffeners to prevent their free flanges from being deformed under compression

tripping line

a line that is used to free a fouled anchor; also known as tripline

tripping palm

projecting piece fitted on the arm of a stockless anchor to cause the flukes to turn downward and bite into the seabed when the anchor is down and a pull comes on the cable

tsunami

large sea wave produced usually by an underwater earthquake but can also be due to volcanic eruption, landslide, explosion or meteor impact; this term is derived from Japanese word for "harbour wave" compare tidal wave

tug

a small boat designed for towing vessels such as barge; has great manoeuvrability and engine power

tug mark

marking painted on the shipside to indicate the location at which the tug has to push the ship; usually has a long rectangular shape

tugger winch

a small drum winch designed to assist the crew in manipulating the heavy pieces of towing gear such as chain bridles, towing plates and large towing wires used in anchor-handling or ship-handling work; commonly fitted in offshore vessels at the cargo deck area behind the superstructure

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary tumble home

inboard sloping of a ship's sides above the designed waterline such that her breadth at deck level is less than her extreme breadth

turbine

a machine which is rotated steadily by directing high velocity steam, air or water from nozzles onto a series of blades fitted around the periphery of revolving disc; impingement of the blades one after another imparted a rotary motion to the machine; there are "impulse" and "reaction" turbine types

turbocharger

centrifugal air compressor driven by turbine powered by exhaust gases from the diesel engine; it supplies compressed air at higher pressure to the engine so that more fuel can be burnt to increase engine power

turning circle

the circle made by a ship when the rudder is put over; one of the standard manoeuvre that serves as a measure of manoeuvrability of ships; a number of parameters are used to define the turning performance, for example, diameter of the steady turning circle, turning rate, steady speed on turn, etc.

turning gear

mechanism for rotating the crankshaft of main engine during engine overhaul or engine preparation before starting; the electric motor-driven gear has arrangement to engage or disengage the shaft

tween decker

general cargo ship with one or more decks, known as tween decks, dividing the cargo holds into lower and upper cargo spaces

twenty footer

a popular term for 20 feet long container; commonly abbreviated as TEU which stands for Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

twin screws

twin propellers, one on each of centreline, rotate in opposite directions during operation

twist lock

device used to secure containers stowed one on top of the other; it is fitted into each of the four openings at the corners of the container and has to be turned to lock the containers together

two-stroke cycle

the cycle of operation completes in one revolution of the crankshaft, ie air intake and compression is done on the upward stroke of the piston, and expansion and exhaust is done on the downward stroke compare four-stroke cycle

two-stroke engine

an internal combustion engine which works on two-stroke cycle, i.e. power is developed for alternate strokes; for the same size and number of cylinders, a twostroke engine develops almost twice as much power as a four-stroke engine compare four-stroke engine

Type 'A' ship

of freeboard assignment, a ship that carries only liquid cargoes in bulk

Type 'B' ship

of freeboard assignment, a ship other than Type 'A' ship

typhoon

violent tropical storm in the seas of Philippine Islands, Japan and China

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

U Term

Definition

ULCC

stand for Ultra Large Crude Carrier, i.e. a crude oil tanker with deadweight more than 300,000 tons

ullage

1. quantity represented by the unoccupied space in a tank or compartment; 2. depth of space from the tank top to the free surface of the liquid; 3. natural loss in weight or quantity e.g. due to evaporation

ultrasonic test

of hatch cover system, a weathertightness test using an ultrasonic transmitter inside the hold and a detector outside the hold see chalk test, hose test

under way

not at anchor or attached to the shore or aground; commonly used to mean moving through water

underwriter

a person who insures wholly or fractionally a marine risk; also known as insurer

underwriting

undertaking to insure a marine risk

unimodal transport

describe a shipment having one single mode of transport

up helm

to put the tiller to windward opposite of down helm

upper deck

a continuous deck

upper explosive limit

the limit above which, the concentration of hydrocarbon gas in the air mixture is considered to be "too rich" i.e. insufficient air to support and propagate combustion; commonly abbreviated as UEL ; also known as upper flammable limit or UFL for short compare lower explosive limit

uptake

a metal casing connecting the boiler or engine with the base of the funnel; the enclosed casing directs the flow of exhaust gases up to funnel

upwind

in or toward the direction from which the wind blows

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

V Term

Definition

valuation clause

clause in a hull policy which stipulates that to file claim for constructive total loss, the cost of repairs evaluated must exceed the insured value

valve

a device for controlling flow of a fluid through an aperture; numerous designs are available for different application, for example, check valve, gate valve, globe valve, non-return valve, etc.

vane

a device with a flat surface or blade that is acted on by water or wind; may be used to indicate wind direction

vanning

act of packing a container

vapour pressure

the pressure exerted by the vapour above the liquid at a given temperature; it is an indication of the tendency of the liquid to vaporise

vent pipe

pipe connected to top of enclosed compartment or tank to facilitate escape of air or vapour

ventilator

a device for extracting foul air from a compartment eg engine room, hold, etc and supplying fresh air to it

vernier

an auxiliary scale sliding alongside a main scale to enable reading of fractional values during measurement

vessel

a ship or boat

vessel experience factor

a historical compilation of ship-to-shore cargo volume variations and was designed to be used, primarily, as a loss control tool to help assess the validity of quantities derived from shore tank measurements; vessel experience factors are also frequently used to determine custody transfer quantities when shore-based measurements are not available; VEF for short

VHF Radio Telephone

a radio communication equipment using very high frequency marine band; it allows communications from ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship within a 20 to 30 miles range; for longer range, HF (High Frequency) and MF (Medium Frequency) radios are used

victual

1. food and drink; 2. to supply provisions to a ship

vigia

a navigational hazard that has been reported but has yet to be verified by survey and charted

viscosity

one of the properties of a liquid which measures its internal resistance to flow; the higher the viscosity, the more sluggish is the flow; when temperature rises, viscosity decreases and vice versa

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary viscosity index

measures the fluid's change of viscosity with temperature

VLCC

stand for Very Large Crude Carrier, i.e. a crude oil tanker with deadweight between 200,000 and 300,000 tons

volt

the unit of electrical pressure; 1 volt is the electrical pressure required to force a current flow of 1 ampere through a resistance of 1 ohm

voltage

an electrical potential which can be measured in volt

voltmeter

an instrument for measuring voltage or electromotive force of an electrical current

volume of displacement

volume of water displaced by a floating ship when expressed in cubic measurement

voyage

a journey by sea to a distant place

voyage charter

a ship hiring contract for a single voyage from one or more named load port to one or more specified destination ports; this is common for bulk carriers and tramps

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

W Term

Definition

wake distribution

the ratio of the wake speed to the ship's speed as a ship moves through water

warp

hawser used when warping

warpage

1. fee charged for warping a vessel in port; 2. act of warping

warping

shifting a ship by means of pulling on a mooring line or hawser which has been secured to a fixed point such as bollard ashore

wash port

openings in bulwarks to allow water on deck to flow overboard

waste heat

heat that would be lost to atmosphere or otherwise wasted if not recovered; sources of waste heat on board a ship include exhaust gases, jacket outlet cooling water of diesel engine, etc.

waste heat boiler

non oil-fired boiler that utilises waste heat to warm up water or generate steam if it is sufficiently hot; e.g. economiser, exhaust gas boiler, etc.

watch

period of time where duty is kept on a ship; usually about four hours duty followed by eight hours rest or six hours duty followed by six hours rest period; for merchant ships, it applies to deck and engine departments

water ballast

sea water taken on board to increase propeller submersion and improve stability especially during an unloaded voyage; it is usually carried in the double bottom, forepeak and aftpeak tanks

water tube boiler

one classification of steam boiler in which the water is confined to numerous steel tubes connected at their ends to steam drums and water drums; the hot gases coming from the combustion chamber are directed by baffles to pass through the water tubes nest several times before going up to the economiser and out to the atmosphere through the funnel; this design uses less water and the water tubes are capable of supporting far higher pressure than Scotch boilers

waterline

the line at a ship's side formed by the surface of water at a specific draught

waterplane

horizontal section of a ship's hull at a particular depth

waterplane coefficient

the ratio of the waterplane area to the rectangular area given by the ship's length and breadth CWP = waterplane area LxB

watertight

structure built or closed so that water cannot get in or out

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary watertight doors

vertical or horizontal sliding steel doors operated by hydraulic or electric power either locally or remotely; for sealing openings in watertight sub-division bulkhead

watt

the unit of power and is equal to joule per second

wave breaker

a stiffened steel panel erected on continuous upper deck in port and starboard sides or at forecastle deck to absorb and dissipate the waves coming onboard

waybill

document which serves as a receipt for the goods shipped and as evidence of the contract of carriage; it is issued by shipping line or shipowner to shipper or charterer

wearing

turning the vessel's stern through the wind to change from one tack to the other compare tacking

weather deck

the deck that is exposed to sea and weather

weather working day

the day with weather suitable for the concerned job to be carried out

web

the wider plate-like section of a beam or frame

web frame

a built-up transverse frame to provide additional strength; usually made up of a web plate stiffened with face plate on its edge; for several regular side frames, one web frame may be deployed to strengthen the shell plating

weedless propeller

propeller with highly skewed blades

welding

the union of pieces of metal made liquid by heating, or by pressure or both; types of welding include arc welding, gas welding, resistance welding, friction welding, plasma welding and electron beam welding

well decker

refers to any type of vessel with a forecastle and the superstructure higher than (usually 1 deck higher) the upper coninuous deck forming a "well"; generally this design is common on older and smaller vessel such as general cargo, small tanker, etc.

wet bulb temperature

temperature measured with a thermometer bulb covered with wetted fabric such as muslin or cotton and exposed to air; when the water evaporates from the damp fabric, heat is extracted from the bulb lowering its temperature; the drop in temperature below the atmospheric temperature depends on the evaporation rate which, in turn, depends on the dryness in the air compare dry bulb temperature

wetted surface

the external surface of a ship's hull which is in contact with the water in which she is floating

whaleback

1. describes a vessel with pronounced camber on deck; 2. shelter over the foredeck of a vessel, usually a fishing vessel

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary wharf

structure built along the shore where ships may berth to load or unload cargo, or for fitting and refitting ships

wharfage

1. charges paid for the use of a wharf; 2. wharf facilities in a port

wharfinger

one who owns or operates a wharf

wheatstone bridge

electrical network formed by connecting four resistances, a direct current source, and a galvanometer in such a way that when the four resistances are matched, the galvanometer will show a zero deflection; it is used for measuring resistances

wheel house

enclosed structure for housing the steering wheel and other navigational aids; serves as the navigation centre of a ship; also known as bridge

whirlpool

a small area in the water where there are strong currents moving in circles; this may cause steering difficulty

whirlwind

a small, revolving wind storm that circulates rapidly around a low pressure centre

wibon

Whether in berth or not, states that notice of readiness (NOR) can be tendered whether the vessel is in berth or not

wildcat

cable lifter, or sprocket wheel, of windlass

winch

a machine for lifting and lowering cargo, and for other purposes that cannot be handled by manual power; it consists of a drum or barrel around which a rope or cable is wound to achieve either a lifting or lowering motion; the drum rotates in a horizontal axis and may be powered by steam or hydraulic motor or electric motor

wind force

wind velocity based on Beaufort wind scale

windbound

prevented from sailing, by a contrary wind

windlass

a machine for lifting and lowering anchor chain; usually has two sprocket wheels or cable lifters working in the horizontal axis; either one or both of the cable lifters can be rotated via a clutch arrangement; the machine may be powered by steam or hydraulic motor or electric motor compare capstan

Wing in Ground

a high speed aircraft-like craft flying at a short distance above sea surface; WIG for short

wing tank

tank that lies along the ship's side

WIPON

Whether In Port Or Not means that the Notice of Readiness can be tendered whether the vessel is in port or not

without prejudice

of insurance claim, it means "no question asked"; e.g. paying a claim "without prejudice" means that although there is no strict liability under the terms of the

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary insurance policy, the insurer may decide to pay without contention on this occasion; however, this settlement should not be used as a basis in the future when such similar claims arise working load limit

maximum strength suitable for ropes and wires; WLL for short

Worldscale

the codename for Worldwide Tanker Nomimal Freight Scale; this system brings out annually revised scales of freights based on the cost of operating a standard tanker to and from some known ports

worm gear

a kind of gearing which consists of a worm engaging a worm wheel, the axes of both are at right angles to each other; the worm, being restricted by fixed bearings, can only rotate without moving in an axial direction; the screw thread on the worm engages the teeth on the worm wheel and when rotated, the worm pulls or pushes the worm wheel causing rotation; used when large speed reduction ratio is desired such as in electric winches, capstans, etc.

worming

putting yarn in the cantlines of a rope

wreckage

1. remains of a ship that has wrecked or damaged; 2. goods washed ashore from a wrecked ship

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

Y Term

Definition

yaw

describes the motion of a ship about her vertical axis; this causes the forward and aft ends of the ship to swing from left to right repeatedly; one of the six principal motions of a ship in waves compare heave, pitch, roll, surge, sway

yield point

point at which the material will continue to elongate, even though there is no further increase in load

York-Antwerp Rules

a voluntary code adopted by shipowners to prevent dispute arising as a result of the many differences in the various national laws governing the adjustment of general average; YAR for short

Young's modulus

ratio of stress over strain; also known as modulus of elasticity

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m-i-link.com Maritime Dictionary

Z Term

Definition

zener barrier

an electrical safety barrier that by design, inherently limits the voltages and currents appearing in the hazardous location when faults occur on the circuit; it uses a combination of fuse, resistors and zener diodes to achieve safety

zenith

point in the celestial sphere vertically above the observer compare nadir

zephyr

a gentle warm breeze; the west wind in Mediterranean sea

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m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym

A AA

-

Always Afloat

AAAA

-

Always Afloat, Always Accessible

AAAABENDS

-

Always Accessible Always Accommodating Both Ends

AAOSA

-

Always Afloat Or Safe Aground

AAR

-

Against All Risks

AARA

-

Always Accessible or Reachable on Arrival

AB

-

Able Seaman

ABS

-

American Bureau of Shipping

AC

-

Alternating Current (electricity)

ACV

-

Air Cushion Vehicle

AD

-

Area Differential

ADF

-

Automatic Direction Finder

AF

-

Anti-Fouling

AFFF

-

Aqueous Film Forming Foam

AFRA

-

Average Freight Rate Assessment

AG

-

Arabian Gulf

AGW

-

Actual Gross Weight

-

All Going Well

AHTS

-

Anchor Handling Tug and Supply Vessel

AIS

-

Automatic Identification System

ALERT

-

Automatic Life-saving Emergency Radio Transmitter

ALRS

-

Admiralty List of Radio Signals

AMSL

-

Above Mean Sea Level

AMVER

-

Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System

AMWELSH

-

Americanised Welsh Coal Charter party

ANERA

-

Asia-North America Eastbound Rate Agreement

ANOP

-

Articles Not Otherwise Provided for

ANSI

-

American National Standard Institute

AO

-

Awaiting Orders

-

And Other

AOB

-

Any One Bottom

AOH

-

After Office Hours

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m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym AOLOC

-

Any One Location

AOR

-

Atlantic Ocean Region

AOS

-

Any One Steamer

AOV

-

Any One Vessel

AP

-

All Purposes

-

Additional Premium

-

Aft Perpendicular

API

-

American Petroleum Institute

APS

-

Arrival Pilot Station

APT

-

Aft Peak Tank

ARA

-

Antwerp - Rotterdam - Amsterdam

ARPA

-

Automatic Radar Plotting Aid

A/S

-

Alongside

ASAP

-

As Soon As Possible

ASBA

-

The Association of Shipbrokers and Agents (USA) Incorporated, New York

ASCII

-

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASD

-

Azimuth Stern Drive

ASPW

-

Any Safe Port in the World

ASTM

-

American Society of Testing & Materials

ATA

-

Actual Time of Arrival

ATD

-

Actual Time of Departure

ATDN

-

Any Time Day & Night

ATDNSHINC

-

Anytime Day/Night Sundays & Holidays Included

ATK

-

Aviation Turbine Kerosene

ATS

-

All Time Saved

ATSBE

-

All Time Saved Both Ends

ATSDO

-

All Time Saved Discharging Only

ATUTC

-

Actual Times Used To Count

AUV

-

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

AVGAS

-

Aviation Gasoline

AVR

-

Automatic Voltage Regulator

AVTAG

-

Aviation Turbine Gasoline

AWIWL

-

Always Within Institute Warranty Limits

AWVNS

-

Always Within Vessel's Natural Segregation

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m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym AWRI

-

Additional War Risk Insurance

BA

-

British Admiralty

BAF

-

Bunker Adjustment Factor

BB

-

Below Bridge

-

Ballast Bonus

-

Bare Boat

-

Break Bulk/ Breaking Bulk

-

Bulbous Bow

BBB

-

Before Breaking Bulk

BBC

-

Bare Boat Charter

BC

-

Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes

BCH

-

Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk

BCM

-

Bow to Centre of Manifold

BCO

-

Beneficial Cargo Owner

BD

-

Bar Draught

BDC

-

Bottom Dead Centre

BDI

-

Both Dates Inclusive

BDMT

-

Bone Dry Metric Ton

B/E

-

Break-Even

BENDS

-

Both Ends (i.e. loading end and discharging end)

BFI

-

Baltic Freight Index

BHP

-

Brake Horse Power

BI

-

Both Inclusive

BIC

-

Bureau International des Containers (International Container Bureau)

BIFFEX

-

Baltic International Freight Futures Index

BIMCO

-

The Baltic and International Maritime Council

BKR

-

Bulgarski Koraben Registar (Bulgarian Register of Shipping)

B/L

-

Bill of Lading

BLU

-

Code of Practice for the Safe Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers

BN

-

Booking Note

BOA

-

Berthing On Arrival

B

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m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym BOB

-

Bunkers On Board

-

Balance On Board

BOD

-

Bunkers On Delivery

BOFFERS

-

Best Offers

BOL

-

Bill Of Lading

BOP

-

Blow-out Preventer

BOR

-

Bunkers On Redelivery

B/P

-

Bills Payable

B/R

-

Bills Receivable

BROB

-

Bunkers Remaining On Board

BS

-

Bunker Surcharge

BSC

-

British Shippers' Council

BSI

-

British Standards Institution

BST

-

British Standard Time

-

British Summer Time

BT

-

Berth Terms

BV

-

Bureau Veritas

BW

-

Brackish Water

-

Ballast Water

BWAD

-

Brackish Water Arrival Draught

BWDD

-

Brackish Water Departure Draught

BWT

-

Ballast Water Tank

CABAF

-

Currency And Bunker Adjustment Factor

CAF

-

Currency Adjustment Factor

CBFS

-

Carbon Black Feedstock

CBFT

-

Cubic Feet

CBM

-

Cubic Metres

-

Conventional Buoy Mooring

CBR

-

Commodity Box Rate

CBS

-

Cyprus Bureau of Shipping

CBT

-

Clean Ballast Tank

C

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m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym CC

-

Cubic Capacity

-

Cubic Centimetres

-

Continuation Clause

CCG

-

Canadian Coast Guard

CCS

-

China Classification Society

CD

-

Customary Despatch

C/E

-

Chief Engineer

CENSA

-

Council of European and Japanese National Shipowners Association

CES

-

Coast Earth Station

CFM

-

Container Flow Management

CFR

-

Cost and Freight

CFS

-

Container Freight Station

CFT

-

Cubic Feet

CG

-

Centre of Gravity

CGA

-

Cargo's proportion of General Average

CHABE

-

Charterer's Agents Both Ends

CHOPT

-

Charterer's Option

CIF

-

Cost, Insurance & Freight

CIF&E

-

Cost, Insurance, Freight & Exchange

CIF&I

-

Cost, Insurance, Freight & Interest

CIFC

-

Cost, Insurance, Freight and Commission

CIFC&I

-

Cost, Insurance, Freight, Commission & Interest

CIM

-

Convention Internationale Concernant le Transport des Marchandises par Chemin de Fer

CIP

-

Carriage and Insurance Paid to

-

Calling In Port

CIQ

-

Customs Immigration Quarantine

CIT

-

Chartered Institute of Transport

CLP

-

Container Load Plan

CMI

-

Comité Maritime International

CMR

-

Convention Marchandise Routiers

C/N

-

Consignment Note

-

Cover Note

-

Credit Note

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Page 5 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym C/O

-

Chief Officer

-

Care Of

CLC

-

Civil Liability Convention of 1969

COA

-

Contract Of Affreightment

COACP

-

Contract Of Affreightment Charter Party

COB

-

Close Of Business

COC

-

Certificate Of Competency

-

Carrier Owned Container

COD

-

Cash On Delivery

COF

-

Certificate Of Fitness

COFC

-

Container On Flat Car

COGS

-

Carriage of Goods by Sea

COGSA

-

Carriage of Goods by Sea Act

COMBIDOC

-

Combined Transport Document

COP

-

Customs Of the Port

COT

-

Cargo Oil Tank

COW

-

Crude Oil Washing

C/P

-

Charter Party

CPD

-

Charterers Pay Dues

CPP

-

Clean Petroleum Products

-

Controllable Pitch Propeller

CPT

-

Carriage Paid To

CQD

-

Customary Quick Despatch

CR

-

China Corporation Register of Shipping

CROB

-

Cargo Remaining On Board

CRS

-

Croatian Register of Shipping

CSC

-

International Convention for Safe Containers

CSM

-

Container Slot Management

CSO

-

Company Security Officer

CSR

-

Chech and Slovak Ship's and Industrial Register

-

Continuous Service Rate

CSS

-

Coastal System Station

CST

-

Central Standard Time

-

Centistoke

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Page 6 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym CT

-

Conference Terms

CTL

-

Constructive Total Loss

CTO

-

Combined Transport Operator

CUFT

-

Cubic Feet

CVs

-

Consecutive Voyages

CY

-

Container Yard

DA

-

Discharge Afloat

DAP

-

Days All Purposes

DAS

-

Docking Aid System

DB

-

Double Bottom

DBT

-

Double Bottom Tank

DC

-

Direct Current

D/D

-

Days After Date

-

Delivered At Docks

-

Daily Discharge

-

Dry Docking

DDC

-

Destination Delivery Charge

DDP

-

Delivered Duty Paid

DDU

-

Delivered Duty Unpaid

DEL

-

Delivery

DEM

-

Demurrage

DEQ

-

Delivered Ex Quay

DES

-

Delivered Ex Ship

DESP

-

Despatch

DG

-

Dangerous Goods

DGN

-

Dangerous Goods Note

DGPS

-

Differential Global Positioning System

DHD

-

Demurrage Half Despatch

DHDATSBE

-

Demurrage Half Despatch on All Time Saved Both Ends

DHDWTSBE

-

Demurrage Half Despatch on Working Time Saved Both Ends

DIC

-

Delivered In Charge

D

DD

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Page 7 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym DISPORT

-

Discharge Port

DIST

-

Distance

DKVN

-

Vietnam Register of Shipping

DLOSP

-

Dropping Last Outward Sea Pilot

DNV

-

Det Norske Veritas (Norwegian Classification Society)

DO

-

Diesel Oil

DOC

-

Document Of Compliance

DOP

-

Dropping Outward Pilot

DOSP

-

Dropping Outward Sea Pilot

DP

-

Dynamic Positioning

DPP

-

Dirty Petroleum Products

DR

-

Dead Reckoning

DRC

-

Daily Running Cost

DSC

-

Digital Selective Calling

DSHA

-

Dangerous Substance in Harbour Area (Regulations)

DT

-

Deep Tank

DWAT

-

Deadweight All Told

DWCC

-

Deadweight Cargo Capacity

DWCT

-

Deadweight Cargo Tonnage

DWT

-

Deadweight

EASC

-

European Air Shippers' Council

EC

-

East Coast

ECDIS

-

Electronic Chart Display and Information System

ECS

-

Electronic Charting System

ECSA

-

East Coast South America

ECSI

-

Export Cargo Shipping Instructions

ECTU

-

European Council of Transport Users

EDH

-

Efficient Deck Hand

EDI

-

Electronic Data Interchange

EDIFACT

-

Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport

EDP

-

Early Departure Procedure

E

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Page 8 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym EEBD

-

Emergency Escape Breathing Device

EHC

-

Equipment Handover Charge

EHP

-

Effective Horse Power

EITC

-

European Inland Transport Council

EIU

-

Even If Used

ELSA

-

Emergency Life Saving Apparatus

EMF

-

Electromotive Force

ENC

-

Electronic Navigation Chart

EOP

-

End Of Passage

EOSP

-

End Of Sea Passage

EPIRB

-

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

ER

-

Engine Room

ESC

-

European Shippers' Councils

ESD

-

Emergency Shut Down

ESPO

-

European Sea Ports Organisation

ETA

-

Expected Time of Arrival

ETB

-

Expected Time of Berthing

ETC

-

Expected Time of Completion

ETCD

-

Expected Time of Completion & Departure

ETD

-

Expected Time of Departure

ETR

-

Expected Time of Readiness

ETS

-

Expected Time of Sailing

EXW

-

Ex Works

FA

-

Free Alongside

FAA

-

Free of All Average

FAC

-

Fast As Can

-

Forwarding Agent's Commission

FACCOP

-

Fast As Can, Custom Of Port

FAF

-

Fuel Adjustment Factor

FAK

-

Freight All Kinds

FAOP

-

Full Ahead On Passage

F

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Page 9 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym FAQ

-

Fair Average Quality

FAS

-

Free Alongside Ship

FBL

-

FIATA Bill of Lading

F&CC

-

Full And Complete Cargo

FC

-

Free of Capture

FCA

-

Free Carrier

FCL

-

Full Container Load

FCAR

-

Free of Claim for Accident Reported

FCR

-

Forwarder's Certificate of Receipt

FCS

-

Free of Capture and Seizure

FCT

-

Forwarder's Certificate of Transport

F&D

-

Freight & Demurrage

FD

-

Free Discharge

-

Free Despatch

-

Forced Draught

FD&D

-

Freight Demurrage And Defence

FDD

-

Freight Demurrage Deadfreight

FEFC

-

Far East Freight Conference

FEMAS

-

Federation of European Maritime Associations of Surveyors and Consultants

FERIT

-

Far East Regional Investigation Team

FEU

-

Forty-foot Equivalent Unit

FFA

-

Free From Alongside

-

Fire Fighting Appliances

FFI

-

(FIATA) Forwarding Instructions

FGA

-

Free of General Average

FHEX

-

Fridays and Holidays Excluded

FHINC

-

Fridays and Holidays Included

FI

-

Free In

FIATA

-

International Federation of Forwarding Agents Associations

FIB

-

Free Into Barge

-

Free Into Bunker

-

First In Last Out

-

Free In Liner Out

-

Free In Liner Terms Discharge

FILO

FILTD

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Page 10 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym FIO

-

Free In and Out

FIOLS

-

Free In and Out, Lashed, Secured

FIOLS&D

-

Free In and Out, Lashed, Secured and Dunnaged

FIOS

-

Free In and Out Stowed

FIOST

-

Free In and Out Stowed and Trimmed

FIOT

-

Free In and Out Trimmed

FIT

-

Free In Truck

-

Free In Trimmed

FIW

-

Free In Wagon

FLT

-

Fork Lift Truck

-

Full Liner Terms

FMC

-

Federal Maritime Commission

FMS

-

Fathoms

FO

-

Fuel Oil

-

Firm Offer

-

For Orders

-

Free Out

-

Free Overside

FOB

-

Free On Board

FOB'S

-

Free On Board Charges

FOC

-

Free On Car

-

Flag Of Convenience

FOD

-

Free on Damage

FONASBA

-

The Federation of National Associations of Shipbrokers and Agents

FOQ

-

Free On Quay

FOR

-

Free On Rail

FOS

-

Fuel Oil Surcharge

FOT

-

Free On Truck

-

Fuel Oil Tank

-

Free On Wharf

-

Free On Wagon

-

First Open Water

FPA

-

Free Of Particular Average

FPDSO

-

Floating Production, Drilling, Storage and Offloading

FOW

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Page 11 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym FPSO

-

Floating Production, Storage and Offloading

FPT

-

Fore Peak Tank

FROF

-

Fire Risk On Freight

FRP

-

Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic

FRT

-

Freight

FSO

-

Floating Storage & Offloading

FSU

-

Floating Storage Unit

FTW

-

Free Trade Wharf

FW

-

Fresh Water

FWA

-

Fresh Water Allowance

FWAD

-

Fresh Water Arrival Draught

FWDD

-

Fresh Water Departure Draught

FWE

-

Finished With Engine

FYG

-

For Your Guidance

FYI

-

For Your Information

FYT

-

Follow Your Telex

-

General Arrangement

-

General Average

GATT

-

General Agreement on Tariff and Trade

G/B

-

Grain/Bales

G-H

-

Gibraltar-Hamburg

GL

-

Germanischer Lloyd (German Classification Society)

GLONASS

-

Global Navigation Satellite System

GMDSS

-

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

GMT

-

Greenwich Meridian Time

GNS

-

German North Sea

GO

-

Gas Oil

GOC

-

General Operator Certificate

GP

-

General Purpose

GPS

-

Global Positioning System

GPU

-

Generator Protection Unit

G GA

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Page 12 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym GRI

-

General Rate Increase

GRT

-

Gross Registered Tonnage

GT

-

Greenwich Time

-

Gross Tonnage

-

Gale Warning

-

Gross Weight

HA

-

Hatch

HAT

-

Highest Astronomical Tide

HBF

-

Harmless Bulk Fertiliser

HD

-

Half Despatch

HDLTSBENDS

-

Half Despatch Lay Time Saved Both Ends

HFO

-

Heavy Fuel Oil

H-H

-

Harve-Hamburg

HHDW

-

Heavy Handy Deadweight

HHDWS

-

Heavy Handy Deadweight Scrap

HHW

-

Higher High Water

HHWI

-

Higher High Water Interval

HHWL

-

Highest High Water Level

HLA

-

Heavy Lift Additional

HLW

-

Higher Low Water

HLWI

-

Higher Low Water Interval

HMB

-

Heavy Motor Blocks

HMS

-

Heavy Metal Scraps

-

Her Majesty's Ships

HO

-

Holds

HP

-

Horse Power

HR

-

Hellenic Register of Shipping

HSC

-

International Code for Safety of High Speed Craft

HSD

-

High Speed Diesel

HSS

-

Heavy Grains, Soyabeans and Sorghums

HTS

-

High Tensile Steel

GW

H

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Page 13 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym HW

-

High Water

HWI

-

High Water Interval

HWLI

-

High Water Lunitidal Interval

HWM

-

High Water Mark

HWN

-

High Water Neaps

HWONT

-

High Water Ordinary Neap Tide

HWOST

-

High Water Ordinary Spring Tide

HWS

-

High Water Spring

HWT

-

High Water Time

IACS

-

International Association of Classification Societies

IAF

-

Inflation Adjustment Factor

IALA

-

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities

IAPH

-

International Association of Ports and Harbours

IAMSAR

-

International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue

IAPP

-

International Air Pollution Prevention

IBC

-

International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk

IBIA

-

International Bunker Industry Association Ltd

IBS

-

Isthmus Bureau of Shipping

ICC

-

International Chamber of Commerce

-

Institute Cargo Clauses

ICS

-

International Chamber of Shipping

ICS

-

Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

IDL

-

International Date Line

IFF

-

Institute of Freight Forwarders

IFO

-

Intermediate Fuel Oil

IFP

-

Interim Fuel Participation factor

IGC

-

International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk

IGS

-

Inert Gas System

IHO

-

International Hydrographic Organisation

IHP

-

Indicated Horse Power

ILOHC

-

In Lieu Of Hold Cleaning

I

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Page 14 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym IMB

-

International Maritime Bureau

IMDG

-

International Maritime Dangerous Goods code

IMO

-

International Maritime Organisation

IMOSAR

-

IMO Search and Rescue manual

IMPA

-

International Marine Purchasing Association

INF

-

International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes on Board Ships

INMARSAT

-

International Maritime Satellite Organisation

INTERTANKO

-

International Association of Independent Tanker Owners

IOPP

-

International Oil Pollution Prevention

IOR

-

Indian Ocean Region

IP

-

Institute of Petroleum

IRO

-

In Respect Of

IRS

-

Indian Register of Shipping

ISDN

-

Integrated Services Digital Network

ISF

-

International Shipping Federation

ISGOTT

-

International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals

ISM

-

International Safety Management code

ISMA

-

International Ship Managers Association

ISO

-

International Organisation for Standardisation

ISPP

-

International Sewage Pollution Prevention

ISPS

-

International Ship and Port Facility Security Code

ITF

-

International Transport Workers' Federation

ITIC

-

International Transport Intermediaries' Club

IU

-

If Used

IUHTAUTC

-

If Used, Half Time Actually To Count

IUMI

-

International Union of Marine Insurance

IWL

-

Institute Warranty Limits

IWO

-

In Way Of

J & WO

-

Jettison & Wash Overboard

JIT

-

Just In Time

J

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Page 15 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym

K KD

-

Knocked Down

KR

-

Korean Register of Shipping

KT

-

Kiloton

KTS

-

Knots

KVA

-

Kilovolt-Ampere

KW

-

Kilowatt

LASH

-

Lighter Aboard Ship

LAT

-

Latitude

-

Lowest Astronomical Tide

LAY/CAN

-

Laydays/Cancelling

LBP

-

Length Between Perpendiculars

LCL

-

Less than Container Load

-

Loose Container Load

L/D

-

Loading/Discharging

LCF

-

Longitudinal Centre of Flotation

LDD

-

Loaded

LDF

-

Light Distillate Feedstock

LDG/UNLDG

-

Loading/Unloading

LDPT

-

Load Port

LES

-

Land Earth Station

LFL

-

Lower Flammable Limit

LHW

-

Low High Water

LHWI

-

Low High Water Interval

LIFO

-

Liner In Free Out

LISCR

-

Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry

LLA

-

Long Length Additional

LLW

-

Lower Low Water

LLWI

-

Lower Low Water Interval

LLWL

-

Lowest Low Water Level

LM

-

Lane Metre

L

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Page 16 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym LMSS

-

Land Mobile Satellite Service

LNG

-

Liquefied Natural Gas

LO

-

Lubricating Oil

LO/LO

-

Lift On/Lift Off

LOA

-

Length Overall

LOF

-

Lloyd's Open Form

LOI

-

Letter Of Indemnity

LOP

-

Line Of Position

LPG

-

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

LR

-

Lloyd's Register of Shipping

LS

-

Lump Sum

LSA

-

Life Saving Appliances

LS&D

-

Landing, Storage and Delivery Charge

LT

-

Local Time

-

Long Ton

-

Liner Terms

-

Lumber Tropical (loadline)

LTF

-

Lumber Tropical Fresh water (loadline)

LW

-

Lumber Winter (loadline)

LWL

-

Load Water Line

-

Low Water Level

LWNA

-

Lumber Winter North Atlantic load line

LWONT

-

Low Water Ordinary Neap Tide

LWOST

-

Low Water Ordinary Spring Tide

MARPOL

-

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

MBL

-

Minimum Breaking Load

MCA

-

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

MCO

-

Maximum Continuous Output

MCR

-

Maximum Continuous Rating

MDO

-

Marine Diesel Oil

MED

-

Mediterranean

M

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Page 17 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym MEES

-

Middle East Emergency Surcharge

MEPC

-

Maritime Environment Protection Committee

MERSAR

-

Merchant Ship Search and Rescue manual

MES

-

Mobile Earth Station

MFO

-

Marine Fuel Oil

MGO

-

Marine Gas Oil

MGW

-

Maximum Gross Weight

MHHW

-

Mean Higher High Water

MHHWS

-

Mean Higher High Water Spring

MHLW

-

Mean Higher Low Water

MHW

-

Mean High Water

MHWI

-

Mean High Water Interval

MHWN

-

Mean High Water Neaps

MHWS

-

Mean High Water Springs

MLB

-

Mini Land Bridge

MLD

-

Moulded

MLHW

-

Mean Lower High Water

MLLW

-

Mean Lower Low Water

MLLWS

-

Mean Lower Low Water Spring

MLW

-

Mean Low Water

MLWI

-

Mean Low Water lunitidal Interval

MLWN

-

Mean Low Water Neaps

MLWS

-

Mean Low Water Springs

MID

-

Maritime Identification Digits

MMD

-

Merchant Mariner's Document

MMSS

-

Maritime Mobile Satellite Service

MOB

-

Man Over Board

MODU

-

Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit

MOL

-

More Or Less

MOLCO

-

More Or Less Charterer's Option

MOLOO

-

More Or Less Owner's Option

MOT

-

Ministry Of Transport

M/R

-

Mate's Receipt

MS

-

Motor Ship

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Page 18 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym MSA

-

Marine Safety Agency

-

Merchant Shipping Act

MSB

-

Main Switch Board

MSC

-

Maritime Safety Committee

MSG

-

Message

MSI

-

Maritime Safety Information

MSL

-

Mean Sea Level

M/T

-

Motor Tanker

MT

-

Motor Tanker

-

Metric Ton

-

Empty

MTBE

-

Metyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

MTC

-

Moment to change Trim per Centimetre

MTD

-

Multimodal Transport Document

MTL

-

Mean Tide Level

MTO

-

Multimodal Transport Operator

M/V

-

Motor Vessel

MV

-

Motor Vessel

NAABSA

-

Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground

NCAD

-

Notice of Cancellation at Anniversary Date

NCSA

-

North Coast South America

NCV

-

No Commercial Value

NDT

-

Non-Destructive Testing

NEOBIG

-

Not East Of But Including Greece

NEP/S

-

Not Elsewhere Provided/Stated

NIMA

-

National Imagery and Mapping Agency

NKK

-

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Japanese Classification Society)

NLS

-

Noxious Liquid Substances

NMEA

-

National Marine Electronics Association

NOAA

-

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOE

-

Notice of Exception

N

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Page 19 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym -

Not Otherwise Enumerated

NOP

-

Not Otherwise Provided

NOR

-

Notice Of Readiness

NORA

-

Notice Of Readiness Accepted

NORT

-

Notice Of Readiness Tendered

NOS

-

Not Otherwise Specified

NPA

-

National Petroleum Association

NR

-

No Risk

NRAD

-

No Risk After Discharge

NRT

-

Net Registered Tonnage

NS

-

Nuclear Ship

NSA

-

Non-Separation Agreement

NSPF

-

Not Specially Provided For

N/T

-

New Terms

NT

-

Net Tonnage

NTM

-

Notice to Mariners

NUC

-

Not Under Command

NVO

-

Non-Vessel Operating

NVOC

-

Non-Vessel Owning Carrier

NVOCC

-

Non-Vessel Owning Common Carrier

NWE

-

North West Europe

NYPE

-

New York Produce Exchange form

OAOK

-

Over Age OK

OBO

-

Oil/Bulk/Ore

O/C

-

Open Charter

-

Ore Carrier

OCIMF

-

Oil Companies International Marine Forum

OCP

-

Over Common Point

OD

-

Outside Diameter

ODME

-

Oil Discharge Monitoring Equipment

ODP

-

Offshore Drilling Platform

O

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Page 20 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym OH

-

Off Hire

OHBC

-

Open Hatch Bulk Carrier

OO

-

Oil/Ore

-

Owner's Option

OOG

-

Out Of Gauge

OOW

-

Officer On Watch

OPA

-

Oil Pollution Act

OPEC

-

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

OPL

-

Off Port Limits

OPRHNS

-

Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances

OR

-

Owner's Risk

ORB

-

Owner's Risk of Breakage

ORC

-

Owner's Risk of Chafing

ORD

-

Owner's Risk of Damage

OS

-

Ordinary Seaman

OSB

-

One Safe Berth

OS&D

-

Over, Short and Damage (report)

OSD

-

Open Shelter Decker

-

Oil Spill Dispersant

OSP

-

One Safe Port

OSRA

-

Ocean Shipping Reform Act

OSV

-

Offshore Supply Vessel

OT

-

On Truck

-

Overtime

-

Oil Tight

-

Oily Water Separator

P&I

-

Protection And Indemnity

PANDI

-

Protection And Indemnity

P/CGO

-

Part Cargo

PCC

-

Pure Car Carrier

PCNT

-

Panama Canal Nett Tonnage

OWS

P

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Page 21 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym PCT

-

Percent

PDM

-

Physical Distribution Management

PDPR

-

Per Day Pro Rata

PEL

-

Permissible Exposure Limit

PER/DRF

-

Permissible Draught

PF

-

Power Factor

PFSO

-

Port Facility Security Officer

PG

-

Persian Gulf

PGF

-

Poincaré Gold Franc

PHPD

-

Per Hatch Per Day

PIC

-

Person In Charge

PL

-

Protective Location

PLTC'S

-

Port Liner Term Charges

PMQS

-

Provided Minimum Quantity Supplied

PMS

-

Plan Maintenance System

POB

-

Pilot On Board

POR

-

Pacific Ocean Region

PP

-

Picked Port(s)

-

Posted Price

-

Pre-Paid

PPE

-

Personal Protection Equipment

PPM

-

Parts Per Million

PPS

-

Precise Positioning System

PPT

-

Prompt Ship

PRS

-

Polski Rejestr Statkow (Polish Register of Shipping)

PSC

-

Port State Control

PSF

-

Pounds per Square Foot

PSI

-

Pounds per Square Inch

PSR

-

Panama Shipping Register

PT

-

Private Terms

PV

-

Pressure Vacuum (valve)

PWWD

-

Per Weather Working Day

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Page 22 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym

Q QM

-

Quarter Master

QS

-

Quarantine Station

RCC

-

Rescue Coordination Centre

RCDS

-

Raster Chart Display System

RDC

-

Run Down Clause

RDF

-

Radio Direction Finder

REC

-

Spain's Special Register of Vessels of the Canary Islands

RECD

-

Received

RED

-

Rate, Extras, Demurrage

REDELY

-

Redelivery

RF

-

Range Finder

-

Radio Frequency

-

Relative Humidity

-

Right Hand

-

Registro Italiano Navale (Italian Classification Society)

-

Royal Institute of Naval Architects

RINAV

-

Registro Internacional Naval SARL (Portuguese)

RLS

-

Royal Lifeboat Society

RMS

-

Root Mean Square

-

Royal Mail Service

-

Registrul Naval Roman (Romanian Register of Shipping)

-

Rate Not Reported

ROB

-

Remaining On Board

ROC

-

Restricted Operator Certificate

-

Reference Our Cable

RORO

-

Roll On/Roll Off

ROT

-

Reference Our Telex

ROV

-

Remotely Operated Vehicle

RPC

-

Remote Position Control

RPF

-

Radio Position Finding

R

RH

RINA

RNR

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Page 23 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym RPM

-

Revolution Per Minute

RPS

-

Revolution Per Second

RPT

-

Repeat

RS

-

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

-

Radio Station

R/T

-

Revenue Ton

RT

-

Radio Telephone

RTN

-

Return

RTW

-

Round The World

R/V

-

Round Voyage

RVP

-

Reid Vapour Pressure

RVT

-

Revert

RVTG

-

Reverting

RX

-

Receiver

RYC

-

Reference Your Cable

RYT

-

Reference Your Telex

S&P

-

Sale & Purchase

SAFCON

-

Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate

SANR

-

Subject to Approval, No Risk

SAR

-

Search And Rescue

SARSAT

-

Search And Rescue Satellite System

SART

-

Search And Rescue Radar Transponder

SATCOM

-

Satellite Communications

SB

-

Safe Berth

SBM

-

Single Buoy Mooring

SBS

-

Surveyed Before Shipment

SBT

-

Segregated Ballast Tank

SC

-

Salvage Charges

-

Short Circuit

SCNT

-

Suez Canal Nett Tonnage

SD

-

Sailing Date

S

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Page 24 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym -

Short Delivery

-

Standard Design

-

Single Decker

SDR

-

Special Drawing Rights

SF

-

Safety Factor

-

Stowage Factor

-

Shear Force

SG

-

Specific Gravity

SHEX

-

Sundays, Holidays Excluded

SHINC

-

Sundays, Holidays Included

SHP

-

Shaft Horse Power

SIGTTO

-

Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators

SLA

-

Single Line Approach

SMC

-

Safety Management Certificate

SMS

-

Safety Management System

S/N

-

Shipping Note

SNST

-

Soonest

S/O

-

Shipping Order

SOC

-

Shipper Owned Carrier

SOF

-

Statement Of Facts

SOFAR

-

Sound Fixing And Ranging

SOL

-

Shipowner's Liability

SOLAS

-

The International Convention for the Safety Of Life At Sea

SONAR

-

Sound Operation Navigation And Range

SOPEP

-

Ship and Shore Oil Pollution Emergency Plan

SP

-

Safe Port

SPC

-

Self-Polishing Copolymers

SPD

-

Steamer Pays Dues

SPM

-

Single Point Mooring

SRL

-

Ship Repairer's Liability

SS

-

Special Survey

-

Steam Ship

SSB

-

Single Side Band

SSHEX

-

Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded

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Page 25 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym SSHINC

-

Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included

SSN

-

Standard Shipping Note

SSO

-

Ship Security Officer

SSW

-

Summer Salt Water

ST

-

Short Ton

-

Standard Time

STBY

-

Standby

STC

-

Said To Contain

STCW

-

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (convention)

STD

-

Standard

STEL

-

Short Term Exposure Limit

STL

-

Submerged Turret Loading

SWAD

-

Salt Water Arrival Draught

SWASH

-

Small Waterplane Area Single Hull

SWATH

-

Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull

SWBM

-

Still Water Bending Moment

SWDD

-

Salt Water Departure Draught

SWL

-

Safe Working Load

T&P

-

Theft & Pilferage

T&S

-

Touch & Stay

TBA

-

To Be Advised

-

To Be Agreed

-

To Be Announced

-

Tertiary Butyl Alcohol

-

To Be Named

-

To Be Nominated

-

Total Base Number

TBO

-

Time Between Overhauls

TBS

-

Talk Between Ships

T/C

-

Time Charter

TC

-

Time Charter

T

TBN

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Page 26 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym -

Till Countermanded

-

Time Closing

-

Temperature Coefficient

TCE

-

Time Charter Equivalent

TCP

-

Time Charter Party

TCT

-

Time Charter Trip

TD

-

Tween Deck

-

Temporarily Discontinued

TDC

-

Top Dead Centre

TDW

-

Total Deadweight

-

Tonnes Deadweight

-

Total Deadweight All Told

-

Tonnage Deadweight All Told

TE

-

Temporarily Extinguished

TEU

-

Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

TF

-

Tropical Freshwater (loadline)

T&G

-

Tongued & Grooved (timber)

THC

-

Terminal Handling Charges

TIP

-

Taking Inward Pilot

TL

-

Total Load

-

Total Loss

TLO

-

Total Loss Only

TLX

-

Telex

TM

-

Technical Manual

TML

-

Total Moisture Load

T/O

-

Transfer Order

TOFC

-

Trailer on Flat Car

TOP

-

Taking Outbound Pilot

TOTOCOM

-

Total Commission

TOVALOP

-

Tanker Owners' Voluntary Agreement Concerning Liability for Oil Pollution

TPC

-

Tons Per Centimetre (immersion)

TPD

-

Tons Per Day

TPI

-

Tons Per Inch

TPT

-

Transport

TDWAT

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Page 27 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym TR

-

Ton Registered

TRND

-

To Be Renamed

TS

-

Thunderstorm

-

Tropical Storm

TSA

-

Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement

TSCF

-

Tanker Structure Co-operative Forum

TST

-

Topside Tank

TT

-

Turbine Tanker

-

Transit Time

T/T

-

Telegraphic Transfer

TVP

-

True Vapour Pressure

TW

-

Typhoon Warning

TWA

-

Time Weighted Average

TWRA

-

Transpacific West-bound Rate Agreement

UBC

-

Universal Bulk Carrier

UCAE

-

Unforeseen Circumstances Always Expected

UCT

-

Universal Co-ordinated Time

UFL

-

Upper Flammable Limit

UHF

-

Ultra High Frequency

UKC

-

UK - Continent

-

Under Keel Clearance

ULCC

-

Ultra Large Crude Carrier

ULCS

-

Ultra Large Containership

UMS

-

Unmanned Machinery Space

UNCTAD

-

United Nation's Conference On Trade And Development

USAC

-

United States Atlantic Coast

USC

-

Unless Sooner Commenced

USCG

-

United States Coast Guard

USEC

-

United States East Coast

USG

-

United States Gulf

USNH

-

United States North of Cape Hatteras

U

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Page 28 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym USSH

-

United States South of Cape Hatteras

USWC

-

United States West Coast

UT

-

Universal Time

UU

-

Unless Used

UUIWCTAUTC

-

Unless Used In Which Case Time Actually Used To Count

VA

-

Volt-Ampere

VATOS

-

Valid At Time Of Sale

V/C

-

Voyage Charter

-

Vehicle Container

VDR

-

Voyage Data Recorder

VEC

-

Vapour Emission Control

VHF

-

Very High Frequency

VIOS

-

Vessel Insurance and Operations Surcharge

VLCC

-

Very Large Crude Carrier

VLF

-

Very Low Frequency

VOCC

-

Vessel Operating Common Carrier

VOP

-

Value as in Original Policy

VOY

-

Voyage

VPD

-

Vessel Pays Dues

VSL

-

Vessel

-

Winter (loadline)

-

West

WA

-

With Average

W/B

-

Waybill

WBA

-

When Berth Available

WBT

-

Water Ballast Tank

WCCON

-

Whether Cleared Customs Or Not

WCSA

-

West Coast South America

WD

-

Wind Direction

V

W W

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Page 29 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym WECM

-

Warranted Existing Class Maintained

WEF

-

With Effect From

WFA

-

With Following Alterations

WI

-

West Indies

WIBON

-

Whether In Berth Or Not

WICCON

-

Whether In Customs Clearance Or Not

WIFPON

-

Whether In Free Pratique Or Not

WIG

-

Wing-In-Ground (effect craft)

WIPON

-

Whether In Port Or Not

WL

-

Water Line

WLOH

-

Within Local Office Hours

WLTOHC

-

Waterline To Hatch Coaming

W/M

-

Weight or Measurement

W&M

-

War & Marine

WMO

-

World Meteorological Organisation

WNA

-

Winter North Atlantic (loadline)

WOG

-

Without Guidance

-

Without Guarantee

WP

-

Weather Permitting

W/P

-

Without Prejudice

WPA

-

With Particular Average

WRIC

-

Wire Rods In Coils

WRO

-

War Risk Only

WS

-

World Scale

WT

-

Wing Tank

-

Watertight

-

War Time

WTS

-

Working Time Saved

WTSBE

-

Working Time Saved Both Ends

WVNS

-

Within Vessel's Natural Segregation

WWD

-

Weather Working Days

WWDSHEX

-

Weather Working Days, Sundays and Holidays Excepted

WWR

-

When Where Ready

WWRCD

-

When Where Ready on Completion of Discharge

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Page 30 of 31

Updated 19-01-13

m-i-link.com Maritime Acronym WWW

-

World Weather Watch

WWWW

-

WIBON, WCCON, WIFPON, WIPON

WX

-

Weather Message

-

Excluding Motor Blocks and Turnings (regarding scrap cargo)

-

York Antwarp Rules

ZST

-

Zone Standard Time

ZT

-

Zone Time

X XMBT

Y YAR

Z

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Page 31 of 31

Updated 19-01-13