Operations Vocabulary
Shipping Terms
Complete maritime shipping vocabulary reference with searchable terms used in operations, compliance, and port logistics.
Showing 17 of 392 terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| TOWAGE | Charges for the services of tugs assisting a ship or other vessels in ports or other locations; the act of towing a ship or other objects from one place to another. |
| TRADING LIMITS | Maritime area usually specified by range of ports in which a vessel may operate |
| TRAMP SERVICE | Vessels operating without a fixed itinerary or schedule or charter contract |
| TRIM | The relationship between a ship's draughts forward and aft. |
| TUG | A small vessel designed to tow or push large ships or barges. Tugs have powerful diesel engines and are essential to docks and ports to maneuver large ships into their berths. Pusher tugs are also used to push enormous trains of barges on the rivers and inland waterways of the U.S. Oceangoing salvage tugs provide assistance to ships in distress and engage in such work as towing drilling rigs and oil production platforms. |
| U.S. | flag vessels - are registered in the United States and are subject to additional U.S. laws and regulations to which foreign-flag vessels are not. They must be owned by U.S. citizens, corporations, or governments and must be crewed mainly by U.S. citizens. |
| U.S. EFFECTIVE CONTROLLED FLEET | That fleet of merchant ships owned by United States citizens or corporations and registered under flags of 'convenience' or 'necessity' such as Liberia or Panama. The term is used to emphasize that, while the fleet is not U.,$.-flag, it is effectively under U.S. control by virtue of the ship's owners and can be called to serve U.S. interests in time of emergency. |
| ULCC | Ultra Large Crude Carriers. Tankers larger than 300,000 dwt. |
| UNCTAD | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
| UNMANNED MACHINERY SPACES | A space where alarm bells are installed on the bridge of a ship to trace or rectify any machinery faults. The computerized devices will report any fault immediately it appears and the engineers on board can attend to the necessary ramifications. |
| UNSEAWORTHINESS | The state or condition of a vessel when it is not in a proper state of maintenance, or if the loading equipment or crew, or in any other respect is not ready to encounter the ordinary perils of sea. |
| VLCC | Very Large Crude Carriers: Tankers between 200,000 and 300,000 dwt. |
| WATCH | The day at sea is divided into six four hour periods. Three groups of watchstanders are on duty for four hours and then off for eight, then back to duty. Seamen often work overtime during their off time. |
| WEATHER PERMITTING | That time during which weather that prevents working shall not count as laytime |
| WIBON | Whether in berth or not |
| WW | Weather working |
| YAR 1974 | or 1994 York Antwerp Rules |