30 terms starting with F.
- FAME / Biofuel
Fatty Acid Methyl Ester biofuel blended into marine fuels; ISO 8217:2017 permits up to 7% (B7).
- Feeder Container Ship
Small container ships (1,000-3,000 TEU) that ferry containers between regional ports and main hub-port hubs served by ULCVs.
- Fender
A cushioning device of rubber, foam, or rope placed between a vessel and a berth or another vessel to prevent damage.
- Finnish-Swedish Ice Class
Ice class IA Super, IA, IB, IC, II, III used in the Baltic; controls fairway dues and icebreaker assistance order.
- FIO / FIOST
Free-In-and-Out (FIO) and Free-In-Out-Stowed-Trimmed (FIOST) clauses placing cargo handling cost / responsibility on the charterer.
- Fire Drill
A mandatory shipboard exercise practising the crew's response to a fire emergency, required at least monthly under SOLAS.
- Fire Safety Systems Code (FSS Code)
IMO code detailing international requirements for fire detection, suppression, and firefighting equipment on SOLAS ships.
- Fitter
A skilled engine room rating who performs mechanical repairs and maintenance on machinery, pipework, and deck equipment.
- Fix
A confirmed vessel position established by two or more simultaneous position lines from observed bearings, ranges, or electronic navaids.
- Fixed Pitch Propeller (FPP)
A propeller with blades cast at a fixed angle to the hub; speed and direction are changed by varying engine rpm and rotation.
- Flag of Convenience (FOC)
Registration of a vessel in a country offering lower taxes or less strict regulations than the owner's home nation.
- 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.
- Fleet Broadband (FBB)
An Inmarsat satellite broadband service providing high-speed voice and data communications on mobile maritime terminals.
- Fleet Manager
A senior shore-side executive responsible for the commercial, operational, and crewing management of a group of vessels.
- Fleet Xpress
Inmarsat managed broadband service combining Ka-band Global Xpress with L-band FleetBroadband as backup.
- 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.
- Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO)
A floating vessel used by the offshore oil and gas industry for production, processing, storage, and offloading of hydrocarbons.
- Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO)
Vessel that processes hydrocarbons from a subsea well, stores the production in cargo tanks, and offloads to shuttle tankers.
- Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit (FPSO)
Ship-shaped floating facility receiving, processing, storing, and offloading hydrocarbons from subsea wells.
- Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO)
A stationary floating vessel used to store crude oil or petroleum products at offshore fields pending transfer to shuttle tankers.
- Forty-foot Equivalent Unit (FEU)
Standard unit of cargo capacity equivalent to one 40-foot ISO shipping container, equal to two TEU.
- Four-Stroke Engine
An internal combustion engine requiring four piston strokes per cycle, widely used as medium-speed auxiliary and propulsion engines.
- Fourth Engineer (4/E)
The most junior watchkeeping engineer officer, gaining experience under supervision of senior engineers.
- Free Pratique
Permission granted by port health authorities for a vessel to interact with shore after confirming no quarantinable disease aboard.
- Free Surface Correction (FSC)
Reduction in effective GM caused by liquid moving in a slack tank; subtracted from solid GM to give fluid GM.
- Free Surface Effect (FSE)
The virtual reduction in GM caused by a liquid surface in a partially filled tank that moves as the ship heels, reducing stability.
- Freeboard
The vertical distance from the waterline to the main deck edge, indicating reserve buoyancy and load line compliance.
- Freezing Spray
Sea spray that freezes on contact with vessel surfaces in sub-zero air temperatures, causing rapid topside ice accretion and raising capsize risk.
- Freight Forwarder
Agent that arranges transportation of goods on behalf of the shipper; may issue house bills of lading.
- Fresh Water Generator (FWG)
A distillation unit using main engine jacket water waste heat to evaporate and condense seawater into fresh water at sea.