| Term | Definition |
| 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 |
| affreightment |
chartering or hiring of a ship to carry cargo |
| 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 |
| 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  |
| 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
|
| 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 leg |
that part of a ship's voyage during which she is not carrying any cargo and sailing in ballast |
| 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 plan |
stowage plan of a ship indicating where cargo is stowed bay by bay |
| berth terms |
used in charterparty to indicate whether shipowner or charterer pays for the loading and discharging costs of the cargoes |
| black cargo |
cargo boycotted by stevedores for reasons such as dangerous or hazardous to health |
| block stowage |
stowing of cargo in stacks of even length in order to maximise the cargo space in the hold |
| box rate |
freight rate for the shipping of a container from origin to destination with no restriction on the cargo types and quantity loaded |
| break bulk |
to commence cargo discharge |
| break bulker |
general cargo ship that carries break bulk cargo |
| broken stowage |
cargo space which cannot be utilised due to the type and nature of cargo loaded or structural interferences in the cargo hold |
| 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. |
| bull ring |
1. steel ring at head of stem to take tow ropes;
2. ring for lashing cargo in containers |
| 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 |
| Butterworth cover |
a small, hinged cover for closing a vertical trunkway used by Butterworth tank-cleaning machine; several trunkways are erected on the main deck of tanker for each cargo tank depending on the tank size |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| chain |
connected metal rings or links used for holding anchor, fastening timber cargoes, etc. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| collect freight |
freight payable at destination provided the ship delivers the cargo as specified |
| 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 |
| conbulker |
a combination carrier designed to carry containers and bulk cargoes |
| 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 |
| containership |
ship designed to carry standard sized containers prepacked with cargo for ease of loading and unloading operation; also known as boxship |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| dangerous goods |
cargo which is classified as potentially hazardous; e.g. inflammable, toxic, explosive, radioactive substances, etc. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| dhaw |
traditional wooden ship used to transport general cargo in arab states; sometimes known as dhow |
| dirty ballast |
ballast carried in cargo tanks which are not washed, i.e. ballast that is contaminated with oils |
| disbursements |
sums of money paid out by a ship's agent on behalf of the shipowner for port charges, cargo charges and ship charges |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| draftage |
quantities drawn from a bulk cargo |
| draught survey |
survey carried out to determine the cargo weight on board by measuring the ship's draught |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| dwell time |
duration of cargo remaining in port before being loaded on board or collected for domestic distribution |
| fardage |
dunnage used with bulk cargo |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| freight |
1. cargo carried on a ship;
2. charges paid for the carriage of cargo from one place to another |
| 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 |
| full container load |
maximum quantity of cargo which fills a container to capacity either by weight or volume; FCL for short |
| fumigate |
to destroy the vermin or insects in a ship's superstructure or cargo holds using the fumes of certain chemicals |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| hatch |
opening in deck that provides passage for cargo into hold or access for worker; also known as hatchway |
| 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 |
| hold |
internal compartment in a ship where cargo can be carried |
| 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 |
| hygroscopic cargo |
cargo which readily absorbs, contains and gives off moisture, such cargoes are mainly of vegetable origin, e.g. grain, flour, tobacco, etc. |
| laydays |
days allowed for cargo operation in a charterparty, i.e. laytime calculated in the number of days |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| light ship |
a cargo ship when empty of cargo |
| 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 |
| 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 terms |
of freight rate, the freight is inclusive of carriage and cost of cargo handling at the loading and discharging ports |
| longshoreman |
labourer who loads and discharges cargo at a wharf or dock side; another name for stevedore, especially in USA |
| LSD |
Lashing, Securing & Dunnaging, a shipping term where cargo is loaded, discharged, stowed and trimmed free of expense to the shipowner |
| lumpsum charter |
vessel charter which pays a fixed sum for a specified cargo capacity |
| manifest |
a document listing the cargo or passenger carried on a ship; contains cargo details, ship's particulars, master's name, etc. |
| 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. |
| mate's receipt |
document signed by the mate of a ship acknowledging receipt of the stated cargo on board |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| open charter |
a ship hiring contract or charterparty with the nature of cargo or destination ports not specified |
| 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 |
| payload |
generally refers to maximum cargo load permitted to carry in a vessel, container, etc. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| reefer |
1. a ship which is equipped to carry refrigerated cargo as well as other cargo;
2. one who reefs a sail; see reefing |
| refrigeration |
process of keeping the food or cargo cold and preserving its freshness by extracting heat from their surroundings and maintaining the desired temperature |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| shipper |
a person who puts his cargo on a carrier and is responsible for the payment of the transportation service rendered |
| 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 |
| slop tank |
a tank in an oil tanker which is used to collect the oil and water mixtures from cargo tanks after tank washing |
| 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 |
| spot cargo |
cargo which is available for immediate loading |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| stevedore |
a person who loads and unloads cargo from a ship |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| tramp |
cargo ship operating without regular runs or schedules, and not limited to any particular cargo |
| transhipment |
transfer of cargo from one vessel to another |
| trimming |
adjusting the cargo onboard to maintain ship's stability and to achieve a satisfactory sailing trim |
| 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 |
| tween decker |
general cargo ship with one or more decks, known as tween decks, dividing the cargo holds into lower and upper cargo spaces |
| Type 'A' ship |
of freeboard assignment, a ship that carries only liquid cargoes in bulk |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| wharf |
structure built along the shore where ships may berth to load or unload cargo, or for fitting and refitting ships |
| 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 |
