Maritime Lexicon

Maritime Dictionary Glossary Terms Lexicon

Maritime Dictionary – Comprehensive Glossary of Shipping Terms

A

• Abandonment to Insurers – The act of surrendering a ship or cargo to an insurance company in exchange for compensation, usually in cases where recovery is impossible.
• Agency Fees – Charges levied by a shipping agent for services rendered.
• Alongside Delivery (Undertackle) – Goods are delivered in line with the ship’s loading gear; costs up to the ship’s hold are covered by the shipowner.
• Approval – Inspection of goods by a surveyor or quality control agency.
• Assistance – Aid provided to a vessel in difficulty, distinct from salvage, which involves imminent danger.
• Average/Damage –
  • Particular Average – Damage occurring accidentally to a vessel or cargo.
  • General Average – Loss or expenses incurred voluntarily by the ship’s master to safeguard the vessel and its cargo.

B

• Ballast – Weight added to a vessel (water, sand, iron) for stability.
• Ballast Tank – A section of the double bottom of a ship used for ballast or fuel storage.
• Barge – A flat-bottomed vessel without propulsion, used for river and maritime transport.
• Bareboat Charter (Demise Charter) – A lease agreement for a vessel without crew or provisions.
• Bill of Lading (B/L) – A legal document serving as a receipt for shipped goods, transport contract, and title of ownership.
• Breakbulk Cargo – Shipment of goods not contained in standard containers, typically loaded piece by piece.
• Bulk Carrier (B/C) – A vessel designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo such as grains, coal, or minerals.
• Bunkers – Fuel used for ship propulsion.

C

• Cargo Boom (Derrick) – Equipment enabling a ship to load and unload cargo independently.
• Cargo Insurance – Insurance covering cargo against loss or damage during transportation.
• Charter Party – A formal agreement between a shipowner and a charterer specifying vessel hire terms.
• Clean Bill of Lading – A bill of lading free from defects or discrepancies.
• Container Ship – A vessel specially designed to transport containerized cargo.
• Cost & Freight (C&F) – A sale term where the seller covers transport costs to the port of destination, excluding insurance.

D

• Deadweight (DWT) – The total carrying capacity of a ship, including cargo, fuel, crew, and stores.
• Deck Load – Cargo carried on a ship’s deck, requiring special insurance due to exposure to weather.
• Demurrage – A fee imposed on cargo owners if a vessel exceeds its allotted loading/unloading time.
• Delivery Order – A document issued by a shipping agent authorizing the release of cargo to different consignees.
• Door-to-Door Transport – A logistics service where cargo is picked up from the origin and delivered directly to the consignee’s premises.
• Draft (Draught) – The vertical distance between a ship’s keel and the waterline, indicating how deep it sits in the water.

E

• ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) – The expected arrival time of a vessel at a port.
• ETS (Estimated Time of Sailing) – The expected departure time of a vessel from a port.

F

• FAS (Free Alongside Ship) – The seller delivers goods alongside the ship at the departure port, at which point responsibility transfers to the buyer.
• FOB (Free on Board) – A sale term where the seller is responsible for loading goods onto the ship, but ownership transfers at the ship’s railing.
• Freight – The cost charged for transporting goods by sea.

G

• Gantry Crane – A large overhead crane used at ports for loading and unloading containers.
• General Cargo – Miscellaneous goods shipped in various forms, such as crates, bags, or barrels.
• Gross Tonnage (GT) – A measure of a ship’s total enclosed volume.

H

• Hatch – An opening in a ship’s deck used for loading and unloading cargo.
• Hold – A cargo storage area inside a vessel.
• Hull Insurance – Insurance covering physical damage to a ship.

I

• ISO (International Organization for Standardization) – A regulatory body that standardizes container dimensions and specifications.

K

• Knot – A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (1.852 km/h).

L

• Lashing – Securing cargo on board a vessel to prevent shifting during transport.
• LCL (Less than Container Load) – A shipment that does not fill an entire container and is consolidated with other shipments.
• LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier) – A vessel designed to transport liquefied natural gas.
• LO-LO (Lift-On/Lift-Off) – A cargo handling system in which goods are loaded and unloaded vertically using cranes.

M

• Manifest – A detailed list of all cargo loaded on a ship.
• Multipurpose Vessel – A ship capable of carrying different types of cargo, including containers and bulk shipments.

N

• Nautical Mile – A unit of measurement used in maritime navigation, equal to approximately 1,852 meters.
• Notice of Readiness (NOR) – A formal notification from the ship’s master stating that the vessel is ready to load or unload cargo.

O

• OBO (Ore/Bulk/Oil Carrier) – A ship capable of carrying ore, bulk cargo, and oil in separate voyages.
• Overfreight – Additional freight charges incurred due to port congestion or fuel surcharges.

P

• Panamax – A vessel size classification for ships that can pass through the Panama Canal.
• Product Tanker – A ship designed to carry refined petroleum products.

R

• Reefer Container – A refrigerated container used for transporting perishable goods.
• Ro-Ro (Roll-On/Roll-Off) – A ship designed to transport vehicles and wheeled cargo that can be driven on and off.

S

• Salvage – The act of recovering a ship or its cargo after an accident.
• Ship Broker – An intermediary who arranges shipping transactions between buyers and sellers.
• Stevedore – A dockworker responsible for loading and unloading ships.
• Straddle Carrier – A port vehicle designed to transport and stack shipping containers.
• Stowage – The strategic placement of cargo on a vessel to maximize space and ensure safe transport.

T

• Tanker – A ship specifically designed to transport liquid cargo such as oil or chemicals.
• TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) – A standard measurement for shipping containers, equal to the size of a 20-foot container.
• Time Charter – A leasing arrangement where a shipowner rents out a vessel for a fixed period.
• Trimming – The process of leveling bulk cargo inside a ship’s hold to maintain stability.

U

• ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) – A massive crude oil tanker with a carrying capacity exceeding 500,000 deadweight tons.
• Underwriter – An insurance company that covers risks associated with shipping.

V

• VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) – A large crude oil tanker with a deadweight capacity between 150,000 and 320,000 tons.

W

• Wastage – The inevitable loss of goods during transportation.
• Weight or Measurement (W/M) – A freight calculation method where charges are based on either weight or volume, whichever is higher.

Y

• York-Antwerp Rules – A set of international rules governing general average claims in maritime shipping.

This Maritime Dictionary serves as a vital reference for shipping professionals, offering precise definitions of key industry terms to enhance communication and operational efficiency in global trade.