Glossary — operations

Port-state control, surveys, dry-docking, lay-up, NOR, demurrage.

75 terms in this category.

• Anchor scope
  The ratio of anchor chain length paid out to water depth — typically 5:1 to 8:1 for safe holding.
• Anchorage
  A designated area with suitable holding ground where a vessel anchors to wait for a berth, tide, or clearance.
• Annual Survey
  A classification inspection conducted each year to confirm that a vessel's hull and equipment remain in a satisfactory condition.
• Ballast water
  Sea water taken into ballast tanks to stabilise a vessel — subject to strict management under the BWM Convention to prevent invasive species transfer.
• Berth
  A designated position at a wharf or quay where a vessel moors to load or discharge cargo or embark passengers.
• Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
  Non-technical-skills training in bridge teamwork, communication, decision-making, and human-factors error prevention.
• Bunkering
  The operation of taking fuel oil aboard a vessel, requiring careful monitoring of quantities, trim, and pollution prevention measures.
• Carbon Intensity Indicator Rating (CII)
  Operational efficiency rating A–E assigned annually to ships >5,000 GT under MARPOL Annex VI.
• Chemical Distribution Institute (CDI)
  Chemical-tanker equivalent of SIRE: independent ship inspection scheme used by chemical major vetting departments.
• Cold Lay-up
  A long-term idling of a vessel with systems shut down and crew reduced to a minimum, used when reactivation is uncertain.
• Combination Ladder
  A pilot boarding arrangement combining a pilot ladder below with an accommodation ladder above to accommodate height differences.
• Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC)
  Time-limited PSC focus area (e.g., crew familiarisation, ballast water management) coordinated across MoUs.
• Data Collection System (DCS)
  IMO mandatory annual reporting of fuel oil consumption for ships >5,000 GT, used to support CII and EEXI.
• Deep Water Route
  A route within defined limits, surveyed and confirmed to have sufficient depth, designated for use by vessels requiring deep draught.
• Deepwater Port
  Port with sufficient draft (typically >= 14 m) to accept VLCC, ULCC, ULCV, and Capesize vessels.
• Disbursement Account (DA)
  Itemised statement from the port agent listing all charges incurred during a port call.
• Dispatch
  A payment made by the shipowner to the charterer for completing loading or discharging operations before the agreed laytime expires.
• Docking Survey
  An in-water or drydock inspection of the hull, rudder, propeller, and sea valves required by classification societies every two to five years.
• DPA (Designated Person Ashore) (DPA)
  The company-designated shore-side person with direct access to top management under the ISM Code — the crew's contact for safety + environmental concerns.
• Drydock
  A scheduled period when a vessel is taken out of service and placed in a dry facility for hull inspection, maintenance, and repairs.
• ECDIS Type-Specific Training
  Equipment-manufacturer training required in addition to generic ECDIS familiarisation under STCW.
• Engine Room Resource Management (ERM)
  Engine-room equivalent of BRM — teamwork, communication, fatigue management, situational awareness for engineers.
• Flag State Inspection
  An official inspection of a vessel carried out by or on behalf of the flag administration to verify compliance with its regulations.
• Floating Dock
  A pontoon structure that can be submerged to receive a vessel then raised to lift it clear of the water for repair work.
• Free Pratique
  Permission granted by port health authorities for a vessel to interact with shore after confirming no quarantinable disease aboard.
• Freight Forwarder
  Agent that arranges transportation of goods on behalf of the shipper; may issue house bills of lading.
• Garbage Management Plan
  MARPOL Annex V required document setting procedures for collection, segregation, storage, processing, and disposal of garbage.
• Graving Dock
  A watertight basin into which a vessel is floated, then dewatered, allowing access to the entire underwater hull for inspection and repair.
• Hot Lay-up
  A temporary idling of a vessel with full crew and systems maintained, enabling rapid return to service when market conditions improve.
• Hull Cleaning
  Removal of fouling organisms and paint buildup from the underwater hull to restore vessel speed and fuel efficiency.
• Inshore Traffic Zone (ITZ)
  The water between a traffic separation scheme and the adjacent coast, normally reserved for local and small craft traffic.
• Intermediate Survey
  A classification survey conducted midway through the five-year special survey cycle, typically around the second or third year.
• ISM Audit
  Internal and external audit of the Safety Management System under the ISM Code; underpins the DOC and SMC.
• ISPS Audit
  Verification audit of ship/port-facility security plans under ISPS Code — initial, intermediate, renewal.
• ISPS Security Levels
  Three-tier security alert: Level 1 normal, Level 2 heightened, Level 3 specific threat — set by Contracting Government.
• Laid Up
  The status of a vessel taken out of active trading and moored or anchored in a sheltered location while awaiting employment.
• Laytime
  The agreed time allowed in a charter party for loading or discharging cargo; excess time results in demurrage charges.
• Lighterage
  Use of barges or smaller vessels to discharge cargo from a deep-draft ship at anchor where the destination port cannot accommodate her draft.
• Mandatory Pilotage
  A legal requirement in certain ports or waterways that a licensed pilot must be employed to navigate a vessel through that area.
• Notice of Readiness (NOR)
  A formal written notice given by the master to the charterer or shipper that the vessel has arrived and is ready to load or discharge.
• Panama Canal Pilotage
  Mandatory transit pilotage by Panama Canal Authority (ACP) pilots, who take con of the vessel from sea buoy to sea buoy.
• Passenger Ship Training
  STCW V/2 mandatory training for crew on ro-ro passenger and other passenger ships: crowd management, safety, crisis management.
• Pilot Boarding Point (PBP)
  A designated position at sea where a pilot boards or disembarks a vessel before proceeding to or after leaving a port.
• Pilotage
  The navigational service provided by a licensed pilot who boards a vessel to guide it through a port or restricted waterway.
• Polar Code Basic Training
  STCW V/4 basic-level training for officers on ships in polar waters; advanced course required for masters and chief mates.
• Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM)
  Document carried aboard polar-going ships describing routing, equipment, crew capabilities, and emergency response in polar waters.
• Port Agent
  Local representative appointed to handle pre-arrival, in-port, and pre-departure formalities for the vessel.
• Port State Control Inspection (PSC inspection)
  An examination of a foreign-flagged vessel in port by officers of the port state to verify compliance with international conventions.
• Potable water
  Drinkable water aboard ship — produced by fresh-water generator + treated + tested per MLC A3.2 + WHO Guide to Ship Sanitation.
• Pre-departure Drug & Stowaway Search
  Documented search of all accessible spaces before departure from a high-risk port to detect contraband, stowaways, and security threats.
• Pre-Loading Hold Inspection
  Independent surveyor's check on bulker holds before loading sensitive cargoes (grain, sulphur, wood pellets) for cleanliness, dryness, and structural condition.
• Precautionary Area
  A routing measure where vessels must navigate with caution due to converging traffic lanes or hazardous conditions.
• PSC Deficiency Codes
  Standardised numeric/alpha codes (e.g., 01101 'cargo securing manual') used in PSC reports and aggregated MoU statistics.
• PSC Detention
  Outcome of a port-state-control inspection where deficiencies prevent the vessel from sailing until rectified.
• Recommended Track
  A route of undefined width for the convenience of vessels in transit, indicated on charts but not mandatory.
• Renewal Survey
  A statutory survey conducted to renew a SOLAS or MARPOL certificate for a further period, typically five years.
• RightShip Star Rating
  Risk rating (1–5 stars) used by dry-bulk charterers; combines technical, environmental, and inspection data.
• Scrubber Discharge Bans
  Local prohibitions (Singapore, China, UAE Fujairah, several EU/US ports) on washwater discharge from open-loop EGCS.
• SEEMP
  Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan: mandatory document detailing measures to monitor and improve ship energy efficiency.
• Shifting (berth)
  Movement of a vessel from one berth to another within the same port, typically without loading/discharging operations underway.
• Ship Agent
  Local representative arranging port services (pilots, tugs, stores, crew changes, customs) on behalf of the owner or charterer.
• Ship Security Plan (SSP)
  Confidential, ship-specific plan implementing the ISPS Code; approved by the Administration or RSO on its behalf.
• Ship-to-Ship Transfer (STS)
  The transfer of cargo between two vessels moored alongside each other at sea or in an anchorage.
• Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP)
  Combined SOPEP + Annex II NLS pollution plan required for ships carrying noxious liquid substances.
• Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP)
  MARPOL Annex I plan giving guidance to the master and officers in the event of an oil pollution incident.
• SIRE 2.0
  OCIMF Ship Inspection Report Programme version 2.0 — risk- and behaviour-based tanker inspection regime, fully active 2024.
• Special Survey
  A comprehensive five-yearly classification survey requiring drydocking and full structural inspection to renew class for a further five years.
• Stowaway
  Person who hides aboard a ship to gain free passage or escape circumstances ashore, without consent of the operator.
• Suez Canal Transit
  Transit through the Suez Canal between Port Said and Suez, 193 km, no locks, governed by the Suez Canal Authority.
• Tailshaft Survey
  A classification survey of the propeller shaft withdrawn from the stern tube to inspect for corrosion, cracking, and bearing wear.
• Tanker Familiarisation / Advanced Training
  STCW Reg. V/1-1 (oil/chemical) and V/1-2 (gas) basic and advanced courses required for tanker crews.
• Tanker Management & Self Assessment (TMSA)
  OCIMF programme requiring tanker operators to self-assess and continually improve their safety management against 13 elements.
• Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS)
  An IMO-adopted routing measure separating opposing traffic into lanes to reduce collision risk in congested waters.
• Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)
  A shore-based radar and communications service that monitors and manages vessel movements in a port or busy waterway.
• Vetting Inspection
  Pre-fixture or pre-charter inspection by an oil/chemical major or charterer; results determine acceptability for their cargo.