B
Ballast water management
Treating or exchanging ballast water to stop the spread of harmful organisms, required by the IMO Ballast Water Manageme…
Bollard pull
The pulling force a tug can exert at zero speed, measured in tonnes. Port rules set how many tugs of what bollard pull a…
C
Charter party
The contract between a shipowner and a charterer for the use of a ship. Standard forms exist for voyage, time and barebo…
CII
Carbon Intensity Indicator: a ship's annual CO2 emissions per unit of transport work, rated A to E against a required li…
Classification society
An organisation that sets technical rules for ships and surveys them against those rules. Class also acts for many flags…
Contract of affreightment
An agreement to carry a quantity of cargo over a period, in several shipments, without naming the ships in advance. The …
Crew change
Replacing seafarers at the end of their contracts, planned around ports, visas, flights and handovers. A good plan weigh…
Critical spares
Spare parts a ship must carry because failure of the equipment would affect safety or the ship's ability to operate, wit…
CSD
Cutter suction dredger: a stationary dredger that loosens the seabed with a rotating cutter head and pumps the mixture t…
D
DCS
The IMO Data Collection System: ships of 5,000 GT and above report annual fuel consumption and distance to their flag, w…
Deadweight
The weight a ship can carry, including cargo, fuel, water and stores, measured in tonnes. It is the capacity used for mo…
Demurrage
Money a charterer pays the owner for keeping the ship beyond the agreed laytime, usually a daily rate set in the charter…
Despatch
Money an owner pays the charterer for finishing cargo operations before laytime runs out, usually at half the demurrage …
Detention
A Port State Control decision to hold a ship in port until serious deficiencies are corrected. Detentions are published …
Disbursement account
The account a port agent presents for the costs of a port call: port dues, pilotage, towage, berth hire, agency fees and…
DPA
Designated person ashore: the person the ISM Code requires a company to appoint as the link between ship and top managem…
Dry docking
Taking a ship out of the water in a dock to inspect and work on the hull, propeller, rudder and sea valves. It is planne…
E
ECDIS
Electronic Chart Display and Information System: the approved electronic navigation system that replaces paper charts on…
EEXI
Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index: a one-time technical measure of a ship's design efficiency, similar to EEDI for n…
Enclosed space
A space with limited openings and poor ventilation, not designed for continuous work, where the atmosphere may be danger…
EU ETS
The European Union Emissions Trading System. Since 2024 it covers shipping: companies surrender allowances each year for…
EUA
European Union Allowance: the unit surrendered under the EU ETS. One allowance covers one tonne of CO2 equivalent. Shipp…
F
Final DA
The port agent's final disbursement account after a port call, with the actual charges and supporting documents. It is c…
Flag State
The country where a ship is registered, responsible for making sure she meets international rules. Flags often delegate …
FuelEU Maritime
An EU regulation, in force from 2025, that limits the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used on board, measured on …
G
H
I
IMO number
The unique seven-digit number assigned to a ship for her whole life, whatever her name or flag. It is the best key for f…
In-situ volume
The volume of material as it lies on the seabed before dredging. Dredging contracts usually pay for in-situ volume measu…
Intermediate survey
A class survey carried out between special surveys, around the second or third anniversary of the class period, with mor…
IOPP certificate
The International Oil Pollution Prevention certificate, issued under MARPOL Annex I, confirming a ship's equipment and a…
ISM Code
The International Safety Management Code, which requires a shipping company to run a documented safety management system…
L
M
MARPOL
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, with annexes on oil, chemicals, packaged goods,…
MLC 2006
The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: the seafarers' bill of rights covering employment agreements, wages, hours of work…
MRV
Monitoring, reporting and verification: the EU regulation under which ships report fuel, emissions and activity each yea…
N
Noon report
The daily report from a ship at sea giving position, speed, weather, fuel consumed and remaining, used for performance, …
Notice of readiness
The Master's notice that the ship has arrived and is ready to load or discharge. Laytime usually starts running a set ti…
O
Off-hire
A period during a time charter when hire stops because the ship cannot perform, for example after a breakdown or for unp…
Oil Record Book
The record book MARPOL requires ships to keep for operations involving oil and oily mixtures. Entries are signed by the …
OVID
The Offshore Vessel Inspection Database, OCIMF's inspection programme for offshore vessels, used by charterers to assess…
P
Paris MoU
The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, the regional agreement covering European and North Atlantic…
Passage plan
The Master's plan for a voyage from berth to berth, covering the route, hazards, under-keel clearance and contingencies,…
Permit to work
A written authority to carry out hazardous work, such as hot work or entering an enclosed space, issued by a responsible…
Planned maintenance system
The schedule of maintenance jobs for every item of equipment on board, by running hours or calendar, with the record of …
Port State Control
Inspection of foreign ships in a country's ports to check they meet international conventions. Serious deficiencies can …
Portage bill
The monthly account of wages and allowances paid to the crew on board, including cash advances and deductions, reconcile…
Pro-forma DA
The port agent's estimate of a port call's costs, sent before arrival. The owner or operator usually advances funds agai…
R
Recap
The recapitulation of the main terms agreed in a fixture, sent once negotiation ends. It becomes the basis of the charte…
Requisition
A request from a ship or office for parts, stores or services, which becomes a quote request, then an order once approve…
Rest hours
Minimum rest for seafarers under MLC and STCW: at least 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any 7-day period,…
S
SEEMP
Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan: the plan every ship keeps for managing energy efficiency. Part III holds the shi…
SIRE 2.0
The Ship Inspection Report Programme run by OCIMF for tankers, in its second generation since September 2024. Inspection…
SMS
Safety management system: the documented procedures a company and its ships follow under the ISM Code, audited internall…
Special survey
The full renewal survey of a ship's class, due every five years, usually carried out with a dry docking. It is the large…
Statement of facts
The record of events during a port call, such as arrival, notice of readiness, berthing, cargo work and delays. It is th…
STCW
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, setting minimum tra…
Subjects
Conditions a fixture depends on, such as the charterer's approval or the receivers' acceptance. A fixture becomes firm o…
T
TCE
Time charter equivalent: a voyage's net result expressed as a daily hire rate, so that voyage charters and time charters…
Time charter
A charter in which the charterer hires the ship for a period and pays hire per day, directing her employment, while the …
TMSA
Tanker Management and Self Assessment: OCIMF's framework for tanker operators to assess and improve their management sys…
Tokyo MoU
The Asia-Pacific regional agreement on Port State Control. Like the Paris MoU, it selects ships for inspection by risk a…
TSHD
Trailing suction hopper dredger: a self-propelled dredger that sucks material through drag arms into its own hopper whil…
U
V
See your own fleet in Naavra
A 30-minute walk-through on your ships, your ports and your people. We bring the synthetic fleet; you bring the questions.