Glossary

A mutual association of shipowners who provide protection against liabilities by means of contributions. The members of the Club share each other's liabilities; the insurer also being the assured.
At present, there are less than 20 P&I Clubs in operation. The major Clubs have joined the International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs, forming a pool for reinsurance purposes, as well as giving attention to problems of general concern to members.
The major Clubs are in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Japan and the United States of America.

PSA International Pte Ltd is the second largest port operator in the world. The company's flagship operations are PSA Singapore Terminals, PSA HNN and PSA Marine. In total, PSA operates 28 port projects in 16 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas, with a global capacity of 111 million TEUs over 66km of quay length.
The Port of Singapore Authority was formed on April 1st, 1964 to take over the functions, assets and liabilities of the Singapore Harbour Board. On August 25th, 1997, a parliamentary bill was passed to corporatise the Port of Singapore Authority, and PSA Corporation Ltd (simplified Chinese: ???????????) was corporatised on October 1st, 1997. PSA restructured in December 2003, with PSA International Pte Ltd (simplified Chinese: PSA??????????) becoming the main holding company for the PSA Group of companies.

Any physical piece of cargo in relation to transport consisting of the contents and its packing for the purpose of ease of handling by manual or mechanical means.
The final product of the packing operation consisting of the packing and its contents to facilitate manual or mechanical handling.

Packed weight

An itemised list of commodities with marks/numbers but no cost values indicated.

A US Customs program wherein at least two designated Customs ports will enter cargo that arrives at either port without the necessity of an inbound document.

A platform (usually two-deck), with or without sides, on which a number of packages or pieces may be loaded to facilitate handling by a lift truck.

A metal or cardboard device, designed to increase pallet capacity.

Panamax ships' are the largest ships that can pass through the Panama Canal. The size is limited by the dimensions of the lock chambers and the depth of the water in the canal.
Panamax is determined principally by the dimensions of the canal's lock chambers, each of which is 110 ft (33.53 m) wide by 1,050 ft (320.04 m) long, and 85 ft (25.91 m) deep.
Panamax is determined principally by the dimensions of the canal's lock chambers, each of which is 110 ft (33.53 m) wide by 1,050 ft (320.04 m) long, and 85 ft (25.91 m) deep.
Length: 965 ft (294.13 m)
Beam (width): 106 ft (32.31 m)
Draft: 39.5 ft (12.04 m) in tropical fresh water (the salinity and temperature of water affect its density, and hence how deep a ship will float in the water)
Air draft: 190 ft (57.91 m) measured from the waterline to the vessel's highest point
A Panamax cargo ship would typically have a DWT of 65,000-80,000 tonnes and a maximum cargo intake of 52,500 tonnes.
Work is currently underway, however, to increase size of vessels able to navigate the Panama Canal, with the installation of a third set of locks 427 metres long and 55 metres wide. Upon completion , the canal's capacity will have doubled, and estimates suggest boxships of approximately 12,000 TEU-size will be able to traverse its length (typically that number stands at around 5,000 TEU).

The pulsation in and out of the bow and stern plating as the ship alternately rises and plunges deep into the water.

A published rate that is never assessed because no freight moves under it.

Under ABI, certain commodities from low-risk countries not designated for examination may be released through an ABI-certified broker without the actual submission of documentation.

A method of lifting a roughly cylindrical object such as a spar. One end of a rope is made fast above the object, a loop of rope is lowered and passed around the object, which can be raised by hauling on the free end of rope.

An arrangement whereby a steamship company, under rules and regulations established in the freight tariff of a given trade, accepts small packages at rates below the minimum bill of lading, and issues a parcel receipt instead of a bill of lading.

A movable loop or collar, used to fasten a yard or gaff to its respective mast. Parrels still allow the spar to be raised or lowered and swivel around the mast. They can be made of wire or rope and fitted with beads to reduce friction.

A colloquial term used to describe the act of falling out with a friend. From the days when cleaning materials were shared between sailors.

A carrier participating in a tariff and who therefore applies the rates, charges, routing and regulations of the tariff.

Marine Insurance term; 'Average' in maritime commerce signifies the damages or expenses resulting from the accidents of navigation.
Average is either general or particular. General average arises when sacrifices have been made, or expenditures incurred, for the preservation of the ship, cargo and freight, from some peril of the sea or from its effects. It implies a subsequent contribution, from all the parties concerned, rateably to the values of their respective interests, to make good the loss thus occasioned.
Particular average is the opposite to this: it arises where damage is sustained by a ship, cargo, or freight but is borne only by the owner of the damaged property and not recompensed by contribution from all interests in the venture.

Particular average

A party responsible for the payment as evidenced by the given instrument. Under letters of credit, the payer is the party on whom the draft is drawn; usually the drawee bank.

Filling a seam (with caulking or pitch), lubricating the running rigging; paying with slush (q.v.), protecting from the weather by covering with slush.

The revenue-producing load carried by a means of transport.

The officer responsible for all money matters in Royal Navy ships including the paying and provisioning of the crew, all stores, tools and spare parts. For more information see Purser.

USA; Latin meaning 'per day.' A charge made by one transportation line against another for the use of its equipment, namely the container and its chassis.
The charge is based on a fixed rate per day (which is already the case for the related Demurrage, Detention and Storage).

The causes of loss for which the carrier is not legally liable (i.e. acts of God). These are regarded as elemental risks of ocean transport.

Cargo that is subject to decay or deterioration.

Petroleum, oil and lubricants

A certificate issued by the US Department of Agriculture to satisfy import regulations of foreign countries; indicates that a US shipment has been inspected and found free from harmful pests and plant diseases.

The act of calling for freight by truck at the consignor's shipping platform.

The structure to which a vessel is secured for the purpose of loading and unloading cargo.

The scenario of a sailor being drafted to a warship at the last minute, just before she sails.

A shipment loaded into a container at the pier or terminal, then to the consignee's facility.

Containers loaded at port of loading and discharged at port of destination.

A mobile container handling crane used to load/unload containers to/from railcars.

A transportation agreement in which truck trailers with their loads are moved by train to a destination. This arrangement is also known as Rail Pegs.

As used in marine insurance policies, the term denotes petty thievery, the taking of small parts of a shipment, as opposed to the theft of a whole shipment or large unit. Many ordinary marine insurance policies do not cover against pilferage, and when this coverage is desired, it must be added to the policy.

The vessel's navigator. An especially knowledgeable person qualified to navigate a vessel through difficult waters, e.g. harbour pilot etc.

A whistle used by Boatswains (bosuns or bos'ns) to issue commands. Consisting of a metal tube which directs the breath over an aperture on the top of a hollow ball to produce high pitched notes.
The pitch of the notes can be changed by partly covering the aperture with the finger of the hand in which the pipe is held. The shape of the instrument is similar to that of a smoking pipe.

A signal on the bosun's pipe to signal the end of the day, requiring lights (and smoking pipes) to be extinguished and silence from the crew.

A salute on the bos'n's pipe(s) performed in the company of the deck watch on the starboard side of the quarterdeck or at the head of the gangway, to welcome or bid farewell to the ship's Captain, senior officers and honoured visitors.

A vessel's motion, rotating about the beam/transverse axis, causing the fore and aft ends to rise and fall repetitively.

To capsize a boat end over end, rather than by rolling over.

A particular street address or other designation of a factory, store, warehouse, place of business, private residence, construction camp or the like, at a point.

See Place of Receipt.

A place where cargo leaves the care and custody of the carrier.

A name and address specifying where goods are collected or taken over by the carrier (i.e. if other than consignor).

A location where cargo enters the care and custody of carrier.

The term 'Place of Rest', as used in the Containerized Cargo Rules, means the location on the floor, dock, platform or doorway at the CFS to which cargo is first delivered by shipper or agent thereof.

The scenario when a fast-moving vessel skims over the water instead of pushing through it.

The preparation of the discharge/loading of a vessel at the port.

A truck or trailer without ends, sides or top but with only the (reinforced) floor of an ISO container.