Glossary — F

32 terms starting with F.

• FAL Convention (Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic) (FAL)
  The IMO convention standardising the documentation required by port + immigration authorities for ships in international trade.
• 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 CO2 fire-extinguishing system
  SOLAS-required fixed gaseous fire-extinguishing system used to flood machinery + cargo spaces with CO2 to suppress fire by oxygen displacement.
• 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.