Glossary: B

19 terms.

• Ballast Water Management Convention
  The 2004 IMO convention requiring ships to manage ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive aquatic species between regions.
• Ballast Water Record Book
  A mandatory log recording all ballast water uptake, treatment, exchange, and discharge operations under the BWM Convention.
• BAPLIE
  An EDI message format conveying the stowage positions of all containers aboard a vessel between terminals and ship operators.
• Basic Safety Training
  Mandatory STCW training covering personal survival, fire prevention, first aid, and personal safety for all seafarers.
• Bay Plan
  A grid diagram showing every container slot in a vessel's cross-section by bay, row, and tier with container data.
• Bearing
  The horizontal direction of one point from another, expressed in degrees from 000° to 359°.
• Beaufort Scale
  An empirical scale from 0 to 12 that relates wind speed to observed sea surface conditions and wave heights.
• Berth
  A designated position at a wharf or quay where a vessel moors to load or discharge cargo or embark passengers.
• Bilge
  The lowest interior space of a vessel where leakage, condensation, and drainage water collects; must be pumped out regularly.
• Bill of Lading
  A legal document issued by a carrier acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a receipt, title document, and contract of carriage.
• Bosun
  Senior unlicensed deck rating responsible for the upkeep of deck equipment, mooring gear, and supervision of the deck crew.
• Bow Thruster
  A transverse propulsion unit fitted in a tunnel through the bow section to improve low-speed manoeuvrability in port.
• Break Bulk
  Non-containerised cargo loaded individually as bags, bales, crates, or drums rather than in standard containers.
• Bridge Alarm
  An alarm system on UMS vessels that channels all critical engine room and safety alarms to the navigating bridge when the engine room is unmanned.
• Bridge Log
  A watchkeeping record maintained on the bridge detailing courses steered, speed, weather conditions, and watch handovers.
• Broken Stowage
  The wasted space in a cargo hold that cannot be utilised due to the shape or packaging of the cargo being carried.
• Bulk Carrier
  A single-deck cargo vessel designed to carry unpackaged dry bulk cargoes such as grain, coal, iron ore, or fertiliser.
• Bunker
  Fuel oil carried aboard and consumed by a ship's main and auxiliary engines; also refers to the act of taking on fuel.
• Bunkering
  The operation of taking fuel oil aboard a vessel, requiring careful monitoring of quantities, trim, and pollution prevention measures.