41 terms starting with B.
- Backing
An anti-clockwise shift in wind direction in the Northern Hemisphere, often indicating the approach of a low pressure system or cold front.
- Bahamian Moor
Mooring with both bow anchors set roughly 180 deg apart, restricting the swing circle in tight anchorages.
- Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention)
The 2004 IMO convention requiring ships to manage ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive aquatic species between regions.
- Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB)
A mandatory log recording all ballast water uptake, treatment, exchange, and discharge operations under the BWM Convention.
- Ballast Water Standard D-1
Ballast water exchange standard requiring at least 95% volume exchange in deep ocean water.
- Ballast Water Standard D-2
Performance standard limiting viable organisms in discharged ballast; met by an approved ballast water management system.
- BAPLIE
An EDI message format conveying the stowage positions of all containers aboard a vessel between terminals and ship operators.
- Bareboat Charter
Demise charter where charterer takes full operational control, including crewing and maintenance, for a fixed period.
- barge
Non-self-propelled flat-bottomed vessel pushed or towed by a tug, used on inland waterways and coastal routes to carry bulk, liquid, or project cargo.
- Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training (BOSIET)
OPITO-accredited 3-day course required for new offshore travellers; includes HUET, fire, escape, first aid.
- Basic Safety Training (BST)
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.
- Bergy Bit
Medium fragment of glacier ice, 1–5 m above water and 5–15 m across.
- Berth
A designated position at a wharf or quay where a vessel moors to load or discharge cargo or embark passengers.
- Best Management Practices 5 (BMP5)
Joint industry guidance for protection against ship attacks in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden / Arabian Sea.
- Bilge
The lowest interior space of a vessel where leakage, condensation, and drainage water collects; must be pumped out regularly.
- Bill of Lading (B/L)
A legal document issued by a carrier acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a receipt, title document, and contract of carriage.
- Bill of Lading — Types
Order, bearer, straight, sea waybill — distinguishes how title/possession transfers and whether the document is negotiable.
- Biofouling Guidelines
IMO guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimise transfer of invasive aquatic species.
- Bitter End
Inboard end of the anchor chain secured in the chain locker; from which 'to the bitter end' is derived.
- Block Coefficient (Cb)
Ratio of underwater volume to a rectangular block of length × beam × draft.
- BMP West Africa
Counter-piracy guidance for vessels transiting the Gulf of Guinea (current 'Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers').
- Boatswain's Mate
Senior deck rating, deputy to the Bosun on larger ships; supervises deck crew, assists in cargo and safety operations.
- Boil-Off Gas (BOG)
Vapour generated naturally as cryogenic cargo (LNG, LPG, ethylene, ammonia) absorbs heat through tank insulation and boils.
- Boil-Off Rate (BOR)
Daily fraction of cryogenic cargo lost to boil-off, expressed as % of cargo mass per day.
- Bollard Pull (BP)
Static towing force a tug can exert measured against a fixed bollard; primary spec for tugs (typically 30–100 t for harbour, 150–300 t for AHTS).
- 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.
- breakbulk vessel
General cargo ship carrying non-containerised goods — bagged, crated, palletised, or bundled — loaded and discharged piece by piece.
- 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.
- Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
Non-technical-skills training in bridge teamwork, communication, decision-making, and human-factors error prevention.
- 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.
- Bulkhead
Vertical partition dividing a ship into watertight compartments.
- Bunker
Fuel oil carried aboard and consumed by a ship's main and auxiliary engines; also refers to the act of taking on fuel.
- Bunker Delivery Note (BDN)
Document recording details of fuel oil delivered, including density, viscosity, sulphur content, and supplier ID.
- Bunkering
The operation of taking fuel oil aboard a vessel, requiring careful monitoring of quantities, trim, and pollution prevention measures.