Eversheds International
Global home
Shipping
- Areas of expertise:
- Charterparties and Bills of Lading
- Collision and salvage
- International trade
- Logistics (multi-modal transport)
- Marine insurance - property, liability and defence
- Port and harbour law
- Ship finance, sale and purchase, Shipbuilding
- Ship operating and management contracts
- Personal injury
- Superyachts
- Energy and tankers
- Case studies
- What others say
- Useful information:
- Websites
- Subscribe to e-briefings
List of nautical terms
Below is a list of the most commonly used expressions and abbreviations with a brief explanation of their meaning (the descriptions are not legal definitions):
|
Term |
Description |
|---|---|
| AAAA | Always accessible and always afloat |
| AB | Able-bodied seaman, certificated by examinations, who must have had at least three years' service at sea. An unqualified seaman who has nine months' sea service or more is called an Ordinary Seaman. |
| Abaft |
Stern or towards the stern of the ship. |
| AMM | Admiralty measured mile, 6,080 feet or 1,853.184 metres as distinguished from the nautical mile of 6,045.95 feet or 1,842.8055 metres. The mean nautical mile is 6,076.91 feet or 1,852.2421 metres. |
| Ad Valorem | Latin – according to the value. An Ad Valorem stamp on deeds or documents is one fixed in proportion to the amount of rent reserved or other element of value expressed in the deed. |
Ad Valorem Freight |
Freight paid in accordance with or in relation to the value of the merchandise shipped. |
| Advance Freight | (Freight paid in advance or freight pre-paid) – freight which is paid against the delivery or handing over of the original Bills of Lading. In most cases freight is due for payment on presentation of the Shipping Order. |
| Advance to Master | Money advanced by the Shipper to the Master of the ship to meet immediate disbursements at the loading port. It is treated as a loan recoverable from the shipowner. |
| Affreightment | A contract to carry goods by sea or air. Charterparties and Bills of Lading are contracts of afreightment. |
| AFROMAX | A tanker of 79,999 dwt, ie at the top of the range 45,000 to 79,999 dwt which is one of the ranges used in Average Freight Rate Assessment. |
| Aft | Near or towards the stern or rear of a vessel. |
| Aft Back-Spring | A mooring line running from the aft end of a vessel to a point on the quay some distance for’d of this, to prevent her from moving astern. |
| Aft Peak Tank | A tank positioned at the aft end of a ship often filled either with fresh water or sea water ballast. |
| Air Draft | The height of a ship taken from the summer load line to the top of the mast. This calculation is most important if the ship is meant to trade or navigate under bridges. |
| All Time Saved | The time saved by a vessel from the completion of loading/ discharging to the expiry of the laytime. |
| Always Accessible | (Reachable on arrival) – term in respect of the loading and/or discharging berth which must be accessible. |
| Always Afloat | (Always safely afloat) – a charterparty clause which stipulates that the ship is to berth for loading or discharging without touching the bottom of the sea/river/lake, etc. |
| Arrived Ship | In conjunction with a voyage charterparty a ship has "arrived" when she is within the usual waiting area of the port. Provided she is ready to load/discharge she can give Notice of readiness and laytime starts to run. |
| Bale Capacity | The cubic capacity of the cargo space in the holds of a vessel while allowing for broken stowage. |
| Bare Boat Charter | An agreement under which the charterers hire or charter the ship for a long period, appoint the Master and crew and pay all running expenses. During the hire period the charterers maintain the ship. |
| Beam | Registered breadth of a ship measured from the outside of the hull amidships, ie the greatest width of a vessel. |
| Berth Charterparty | A voyage charter whereby the ship is chartered to load at a berth. |
| BIFFEX | Term for the Baltic International Freight Futures & Market which offers shipowners, operations and charterers protection against the risks of volatile freight rates by means of a standardised contract settled against an index of international dry bulk voyages. |
| Bill of Lading | A document issued by a shipowner to a shipper of goods. It serves as a receipt for the goods, evidence of a contract of carriage and document of title. As a receipt, it contains the description and quantity of the goods as well as suitable notations of goods which are not in apparent good order and condition when received by the vessel. As evidence of the contract of carriage, the bill of lading contains the terms and conditions of the contract or reference to the charterparty. As a document of title, the Bill of Lading can be used by the consignee to take deivery of the goods from the vessel. |
| BIMCO | The Baltic & International Maritime Council. |
| Booking Note | Document containing the terms and conditions of a contract between a shipper and a shipping line for the carriage of goods on a particular vessel between specified ports or places. |
| Broken Stowage | Space lost and unoccupied between each side of an individual parcel of cargo stowed within the hold of a ship. Loss of that space is broken stowage. |
| Bulk Carrier | A ship carrying loose cargo of a homogenous nature in bulk, for example coal, iron ore or grain. Usually such vessels are self trimming to allow the loose cargo to settle or self trim in the holds, thus making loading quicker and easier. |
| By the Head | This is said when the draft for’d of a ship is greater than the draft aft (opposite to By the Stern). |
| By the Stern |
When the draft of a ship is greater than the draft for’d (opposite to By the Head). |
| Carriers Lien |
The shipowner’s right to withhold cargo from delivery to the consignee as security against the collection of freight and other charges for the shipment. |
| CHOPT | Charterers Option which may refer to the loading of a percentage of cargo more or less. |
| Clingage | Oil that remains clinging to the sides and other parts of the tanks in an oil tanker following discharge. |
| Cofferdam | A narrow compartment between two bulkheads extending across a ship, usually to separate oil tanks from machinery spaces in case of leaks. |
| Conditions of Class | Requirements which have to be attended to by the shipowner on the orders of the Classification Society before the vessel is confirmed as "class maintained". |
| Consignee |
The receiver of the merchandise. |
| Consignment Note | A shipping document similar to a Bill of Lading supplied by the carrier for goods carried from one place to another. It contains particulars of freight payment and conditions. On delivery of the goods to the vessel this note is presented to the carrier for endorsement and is a proof of receipt of the goods onboard. It is not a document of title. |
| Consignor | The sender or the shipper of the goods. |
| Cost and Freight | Means the price of the goods includes the cost and freight. Insurance, if any, is for the account of the consignee or receiver. (C&F or CNF). |
| Cost, Insurance and Freight | Commonly used in export and import work. The manufacturers, merchants or shippers, when quoting to the buyers include the cost of the item together with insurance and freight up to the point of destination. Unloading expenses are to be borne by the consignees or receivers. (CIF or CFI). |
| Deadfreight | Space booked by a broker or charterer to load cargo on a ship which for some reason or other it is not used. Although the booked space is unused freight, it will still have to be paid. |
| Deadweight | The total weight which a ship can carry, including cargo, provisions, fuel, stores, bunkers, crew and spares up to her Plimsol Line or marks. (Alternatively, the difference between light and loaded displacements.) |
| Deadweight Cargo Capacity | This refers to the actual capacity of the deadweight cargo the ship is able to carry. Often referred to as Cargo Carrying Capacity or Cargo Deadweight. |
| Demurrage | Daily compensation paid by the charterer to the Owner of a ship for delays in loading and discharging beyond the time agreed in the charterparty (laydays). |
| Despatch Days | In a Voyage charterparty these are days saved while loading and/or discharging compared to the time specified in the contract. On such occasions the charterers are compensated by a remuneration (despatch) which is normally half of the demurrage rate. |
| Detention | Claim by the Owner of a ship as unliquidated damages against the charterers once the period of demurrage has expired. |
| Disponent Owner | The person or company who controls the commercial operation of a ship, responsible for deciding the ports of call and the cargoes to be carried. Typically a time charterer. |
| Free In and Out | Loading and discharging expenses not borne by the shipowner or carrier but by the charterer and/or consignees. |
| Free In Out and Spout Trimmed (FIOST) |
Cargo is loaded and spout trimmed as well as unloaded at the expense of the shippers or receivers. |
| Free Pratique | Certificate from the Port Health Authority that the ship is free of disease and has a clean bill of health. |
| Freight | Transportation charges for cargo carried by a ship. |
| GRT | Gross registered tonnage – measurement of a ship by taking the total enclosed volume of her hull below the upper deck as well as enclosed spaces above it (with certain exceptions namely; double bottoms used for ballast and accommodation) in cubic feet and dividing by 100. |
| Heating Coils | Steam pipes positioned in the oil cargo tanks, which when the tanks are full are heated to modify the viscosity or thickness of the bulk oil so allowing it to flow and be pumped out more easily. |
| Hogging | The longitudinal bending of a ship as the bow and stern are lowered while the centre is raised (the opposite of sagging). |
| IMO | International Maritime Organisation. |
| Inert Gas System | Arrangements on tankers for filling the void in empty or partially loaded cargo tanks with inert gas. This eliminates oxygen and lessens the hazards of fire and explosion. |
| Lay Days | The number of days allowed in a charterparty for loading and discharging cargo, or the actual dates between which this can be done. |
Lay Days Cancelling (Laycan) |
A charterparty may prescribe two dates as lay days for commencement of loading. The latter of these is a cancelling date in the event that the ship is late in arriving and being ready to load. |
| Laytime | The number of lay days permitted in a voyage charter to load or discharge a cargo, taking into account handling capacity and conditions in the port. |
| Lien | See "Carriers Lien" |
| LNGC | Liquid Natural Gas Carrier |
| LPGC | Liquid Petroleum Gas Carrier |
| LOA | Length overall |
| MAIB | Marine Accident Investigation Branch |
| NAABSA | Not always afloat but safely aground – a charterparty provision which allows a ship to rest on the bottom while loading or discharging in a tidal harbour. This assumes that the bottom is soft mud. |
| Not Negotiable (Non Negotiable) | Either one of these phrases are to be seen stamped or printed on Bills of Lading to state that the rights to the goods shown on the face of the bills cannot be transferred. |
| Notice of Readiness | The Master’s advice to the charterer in writing that the ship has arrived in port and is in all respects ready to load or discharge. |
| Notify Party | The name and address entered on a Bill of Lading or a Way Bill, which identifies who is to be informed of the arrival of goods at the destination and will arrange to take delivery on behalf of the consignee. |
| OBO | Oil/Bulk/Ore carrier. |
| Oil Record Book | A log kept by the Master of an oil tanker where every discharge or escape of oil is recorded. |
| Package Limitation under Hague Visby Rules | The limitation of liability of a carrier or shipowner in respect of the value of a unit or package of goods lost or damaged unless its nature and value have been declared before shipment and shown in the Bill of Lading. |
| Packing List | A note detailing the items contained in a case, crate or parcel. It may be sent inside the package but is often attached to the outside. Copies may be furnished to Customs and sent as advice to the consignees. |
| Panamax | The market category of bulk carrier denoting its size in the range of 40,000 to 80,000 tonnes dwt, notionally within the limit for transit of the Panama Canal. |
| Paramount Clause | In a Bill of Lading or in a charterparty this clause imports the Hague or Hague Visby Rules or the Harter Act and is paramount in that it overrides any clauses which are inconsistent with it. |
| Reachable on arrival |
A charterparty term meaning that the charterer undertakes to provide a loading or discharging berth immediately on the ship’s arrival. |
| Receiver | The person or firm named in the contract of carriage to accept the delivery of goods at their destination. |
| Safe Port/Berth | "... a port will not be safe unless, in the relevant period of time, the particular ship can reach it, use it and return from it without, in the absence of some abnormal occurrence, being exposed to danger which cannot be avoided by good navigation and seamanship..." Eastern City [1958] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 127 |
| Sagging | The longitudinal bending of a ship as the bow and stern are raised whilst the centre is lowered (opposite of hogging). |
| Salinity | The amount of salt content expressed by weight in parts of thousands in a liquid. |
| S&P Broker | Sale and Purchase Broker |
| SSHINC | Means that Saturdays, Sundays and holidays included will be included in counting the laydays in a charterparty. This presupposes that some hours will be worked on these days. |
| SBM | Single buoy mooring. |
| Scuppers | Holes throughout the sides of a ship in line with the deck to allow sea water and rain water to be washed overboard. |
| Sea Cock | The valve by which water can be let into a ship’s interior. |
| Segregated Ballast Tank | The ballast tank in a tanker which is only allowed to carry ballast water, with no connection to the cargo tanks, in order to avoid pollution. Compulsory in ships built since 1980 by IMO convention. |
| Shipper | A merchant who exports goods and who places the contract for the carriage of goods. |
| Slops | The oily waste water containing residues of oil and chemicals arising from cleaning cargo tanks in a tanker. |
| Slot | A space for a container in a tier or between the cell guides on board a contained ship (also called a cell). |
| Squat | The reduction in under keel clearance as she moves from rest through the water. |
| SOS | Radio code signal of extreme distress. |
| Statement of Facts | A comprehensive narrative and account agreed by the ship’s Master and charterers/consignees or their agents at the end of a stay in port covering dates and times of arrival, of tendering Notice of Readiness, loading and discharging and other details, including hours spent working cargo and other important events. |
| Straddle Carrier | A lifting vehicle designed for removing containers. |
| TEU | Twenty foot equivalent unit. Standard of measurement used in container transport for expressing the volume of trade, the capacity of container ships. It is based on dimensions of a cargo container 20 ft long x 8 ft wide x 6ft 6" high, maximum load approximately 9 tons. |
| Time Charterparty | An agreement under which the shipowner puts his vessel at the disposal of the charterer for a period of time, during which the charterer pays hire. The period may also be expressed by reference to a particular voyage (a trip time charter). The charterer carries the risk of delays on passage (e.g. as the result of bad weather). |
| Twistlock |
A quick action fastener used to secure a container to a deck or hatch cover or to another container in the stack. |
| Ullage | Free space left in filling a liquid oil cargo tank to allow for expansion when the cargo is heated for pumping. |
| VTS | Vessel Traffic Information System |
| Voyage Charterparty | An agreement under which a shipowner agrees to carry a specified cargo from a berth or port to its destination, in return for which the charterers pay freight. Time for loading and discharging is usually specified (see Laytime). The risk of delays on passage is carried by the shipowner. |
| Waybill | A document used in the carriage of goods which acts as a consignment note and receipt for shipping with full descriptions and terms of carriage. Similar to a bill of lading, except that it is not a document of title, and therefore it is not negotiable. |
| WCCHON | Whether Cleared At Customs House Or Not. |
| WCCON | Whether Cleared Customs Or Not. |
| WWD | Weather Working Day |
| Wear and Tear | Normal deterioration of an article or a working part during the course of its use or through age. |
| WIBON | Whether in Berth or Not |
| WIPON | Whether in Port or Not |
| Wing Tank | A space used for loose bulk or liquid cargo, ballast water at either side of a vessel’s main cargo compartments. |
| York-Antwerp Rules | Uniform set of rules which define general average. |
| Zenith | The point in the heavens directly above the observer. |
Site Information
