Glossary: B
19 terms.
- Ballast Water Management ConventionThe 2004 IMO convention requiring ships to manage ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive aquatic species between regions.
- Ballast Water Record BookA mandatory log recording all ballast water uptake, treatment, exchange, and discharge operations under the BWM Convention.
- BAPLIEAn EDI message format conveying the stowage positions of all containers aboard a vessel between terminals and ship operators.
- Basic Safety TrainingMandatory STCW training covering personal survival, fire prevention, first aid, and personal safety for all seafarers.
- Bay PlanA grid diagram showing every container slot in a vessel's cross-section by bay, row, and tier with container data.
- BearingThe horizontal direction of one point from another, expressed in degrees from 000° to 359°.
- Beaufort ScaleAn empirical scale from 0 to 12 that relates wind speed to observed sea surface conditions and wave heights.
- BerthA designated position at a wharf or quay where a vessel moors to load or discharge cargo or embark passengers.
- BilgeThe lowest interior space of a vessel where leakage, condensation, and drainage water collects; must be pumped out regularly.
- Bill of LadingA legal document issued by a carrier acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a receipt, title document, and contract of carriage.
- BosunSenior unlicensed deck rating responsible for the upkeep of deck equipment, mooring gear, and supervision of the deck crew.
- Bow ThrusterA transverse propulsion unit fitted in a tunnel through the bow section to improve low-speed manoeuvrability in port.
- Break BulkNon-containerised cargo loaded individually as bags, bales, crates, or drums rather than in standard containers.
- Bridge AlarmAn 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 LogA watchkeeping record maintained on the bridge detailing courses steered, speed, weather conditions, and watch handovers.
- Broken StowageThe wasted space in a cargo hold that cannot be utilised due to the shape or packaging of the cargo being carried.
- Bulk CarrierA single-deck cargo vessel designed to carry unpackaged dry bulk cargoes such as grain, coal, iron ore, or fertiliser.
- BunkerFuel oil carried aboard and consumed by a ship's main and auxiliary engines; also refers to the act of taking on fuel.
- BunkeringThe operation of taking fuel oil aboard a vessel, requiring careful monitoring of quantities, trim, and pollution prevention measures.