Glossary — P

42 terms starting with P.

• P&I Club
  Mutual insurance association covering shipowners' third-party liabilities (cargo claims, pollution, crew, collision liability not covered by H&M).
• P&I Correspondent
  Local agent appointed by a P&I Club to assist members with on-the-spot incidents (claims, surveys, casualty response) in a specific port.
• Panama Canal Pilotage
  Mandatory transit pilotage by Panama Canal Authority (ACP) pilots, who take con of the vessel from sea buoy to sea buoy.
• Panamax (bulker)
  Bulk carrier sized to fit the original Panama Canal locks: max 32.31 m beam, 294 m LOA, ~12.04 m draft fresh; ~65,000-80,000 DWT.
• Parallel Index (PI)
  A radar technique using lines parallel to the course line to monitor closest approach to a fixed radar target.
• Parallel Mid-body
  Length of hull where cross-sections are constant (the 'box' between the entry and run sections).
• Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MOU)
  A regional port state control arrangement covering European and North Atlantic waters with 27 member maritime authorities.
• Particular Average
  Loss falling on a single interest (ship or cargo) without contribution from others; opposite of general average.
• Passenger Ship Training
  STCW V/2 mandatory training for crew on ro-ro passenger and other passenger ships: crowd management, safety, crisis management.
• Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC)
  IMO standard for coatings in ballast tanks and double-side skin spaces — surface prep Sa 2.5, target life 15 yr.
• Permit-to-Work (PTW)
  Documented authorisation system controlling specific high-risk tasks (hot work, enclosed-space entry, electrical isolation, working aloft).
• Pilot
  A licensed navigational specialist employed to guide a vessel through a specific port, harbour, or restricted waterway.
• Pilot Boarding Point (PBP)
  A designated position at sea where a pilot boards or disembarks a vessel before proceeding to or after leaving a port.
• Pilot Ladder
  A rope side ladder rigged overside to enable a pilot to board or disembark from a ship at sea.
• Pilotage
  The navigational service provided by a licensed pilot who boards a vessel to guide it through a port or restricted waterway.
• Places of Refuge
  Sheltered locations where a ship in distress can be moved to stabilise, transfer cargo, or undergo emergency repair, granted by coastal-state authorities.
• Platform Supply Vessel (PSV)
  An offshore supply vessel designed to carry deck cargo, dry bulk, liquid mud, and fuel to offshore platforms and rigs.
• Platform Supply Vessel (PSV)
  Offshore supply vessel dedicated to ferrying personnel, deck cargo, and bulk products (mud, brine, water, fuel) between shore base and offshore installation.
• Polar Code
  IMO mandatory code (2017) governing ship design, equipment, and operations in Arctic and Antarctic waters.
• Polar Code Basic Training
  STCW V/4 basic-level training for officers on ships in polar waters; advanced course required for masters and chief mates.
• Polar Ship Certificate
  Statutory certificate confirming the ship meets Polar Code Category A, B, or C requirements.
• Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM)
  Document carried aboard polar-going ships describing routing, equipment, crew capabilities, and emergency response in polar waters.
• Polynya
  Persistent area of open water surrounded by sea ice, shaped by wind/current or upwelling.
• Port Agent
  Local representative appointed to handle pre-arrival, in-port, and pre-departure formalities for the vessel.
• Port Captain
  A company representative ashore, usually a former master, who assists vessels in port with local knowledge, clearances, and operational support.
• Port State Control (PSC)
  Inspection regime where a coastal nation's surveyors inspect foreign vessels in its ports for compliance with international conventions.
• Port State Control Inspection (PSC inspection)
  An examination of a foreign-flagged vessel in port by officers of the port state to verify compliance with international conventions.
• Potable water
  Drinkable water aboard ship — produced by fresh-water generator + treated + tested per MLC A3.2 + WHO Guide to Ship Sanitation.
• Pre-departure Drug & Stowaway Search
  Documented search of all accessible spaces before departure from a high-risk port to detect contraband, stowaways, and security threats.
• Pre-Loading Hold Inspection
  Independent surveyor's check on bulker holds before loading sensitive cargoes (grain, sulphur, wood pellets) for cleanliness, dryness, and structural condition.
• Precautionary Area
  A routing measure where vessels must navigate with caution due to converging traffic lanes or hazardous conditions.
• Pressure/Vacuum Valve (P/V valve)
  A safety valve on a cargo tank vent that opens at set over- or under-pressure limits to protect the tank structure.
• Prismatic Coefficient (Cp)
  Ratio of underwater volume to volume of a prism with cross-section equal to the maximum hull section, length = LBP.
• Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP)
  Armed maritime security teams embarked on merchant vessels in high-risk waters under the IMO BMP framework.
• Product Tanker
  A tanker designed to carry refined petroleum products such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel in coated or stainless steel tanks.
• Propeller Cavitation
  Formation and collapse of vapour bubbles on propeller blades due to local pressure dropping below water vapour pressure.
• PSC Deficiency Codes
  Standardised numeric/alpha codes (e.g., 01101 'cargo securing manual') used in PSC reports and aggregated MoU statistics.
• PSC Detention
  Outcome of a port-state-control inspection where deficiencies prevent the vessel from sailing until rectified.
• Pumpman
  A specialised deck or engine rating on tankers responsible for operating cargo and ballast pumps and maintaining pump rooms.
• Purging (cargo tank)
  Replacing one gas atmosphere in a cargo tank with another (typically replacing flammable hydrocarbon with inert gas before tank entry, or vice versa before loading).
• Purifier
  A centrifugal separator that removes water and solid contaminants from fuel or lubricating oil before engine use.
• pusher tug
  River or coastal tug designed to push a barge tow from astern using a notch system, commonly employed on major river systems worldwide.