Part 7 – Abbreviations & Glossary of Terms
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AA – always afloat
AAAA – always afloat, always accessible
ABS – America Bureau of Shipping (U.S. classification society/standard)
Abt – about
A/C – air changes (see elvent below) or account
A/D/A (or ADA) – all details about
Adcom – address commission
AG – Arabian gulf
ARA – Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp
ARAG – Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Ghent
AFSPS – arrival first sea pilot station
Aft – at or towards the stern of a ship
Aground – when the ship touches bottom
AGW – all going well
AHL – Australian hold ladders (ladders in the ships holds meeting the requirements of the Australian trades unions)
Amidships – at or towards to centre of a ship
AOB – as on board
AP – additional premium (insurance) or all purposes
APS – arrival pilot station
Arb – arbitration
ATDNSHINC – any time day/night Sundays & holidays included
ATS – all time saved (laytime)
ATUTC – actual time used to count (in relation to laytime)
AWRI – additional war risk insurance
AWIWL – always within Institute Warranty Limits
BAF – bunker adjustment factor
Bale capacity – cubic capacity of a cargo hold or holds measured as if cargo of bales/pallets
Ballast – weight taken on board by a ship other than cargo for stability purposes when empty or for making the ship lower in the water (ballast is usually sea water)
Ballast bonus – a bonus paid to the ship owner for compensation for ballasting the ship to a delivery place
BBB – before breaking bulk (meaning prior to the commencement of discharging from the ship)
BC (or B/C) – bulkcarrier
Beam or BM – the extreme width of a ship
BENDS – both ends (i.e. load and discharge ports)
BHF – Bulk Harmless Fertiliser
BIMCO – Baltic and International Maritime Council
B/L – bill of lading (document signed by the carrier, which acts as a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo)
BN – booking note (sometimes issued as a contract for a simple voyage)
BOB – bunkers on board
BOffer – best offer
Bow – the forward part of a ship
Brokerage – commission payable to the ship broker
BSS – basis
BT – berth terms
Bulkhead – vertical partition in the ship separating compartments
Bunkers – name given for the fuels used to propel a vessel
BWAD – brackish water arrival draft (brackish is neither fresh water or salt water)
CBM – cubic meters.
CBFT (or CUFT or CFT) – cubic feet
CFR (or C&F) – cost and freight (incoterm: port of destination, main carriage paid)
CHABE – charterer’s agents both ends
CHOPT – charterers option
CIF – cost, insurance and freight (incoterm: port of destination, main carriage and insurance paid)
CIP – carriage and insurance paid (incoterm: place of destination, main carriage and insurance paid)
COA – contract of affreightment – a contract (charter party) for a specific number of voyages
COB – close of business
COGSA – carriage of goods by sea act
COLREG – prevention of collisions at sea convention
CONCS – concentrates
CONS consumption – quantity of fuel used by the ships engine
COP – custom of (the) port
CP (or C/P) – charter party
CPT – carriage paid (incoterm: place of destination, carriage paid)
CQD – customary quick despatch
CST – centistokes (measure of the viscosity of fuel oil)
C/V/E – cables/victualling/entertainment
DA (or D/A) – disbursement account
DAP – Di-Ammonium Phosphate
DAP – delivered at place (incoterm: place of destination)
DAPS – days all purposes (the total number of days for loading & discharging)
DAT – delivered at terminal (incoterm: port or place of destination – now DPU, see below)
DD – dry dock
DDP – delivered duty paid (incoterm: place of destination)
DEM – demurrage
DES – despatch
DDFRT – dead freight
DHDATSBE – demurrage half despatch on all time saved both ends
DHDLTSBE – demurrage half despatch on all laytime saved both ends
DHDWTSBE – demurrage half despatch on working time saved both ends
DISCH – discharge
DLOSP – dropping last outward sea pilot
DOC – document of compliance (under ISM code see below)
DOP – dropping outward pilot
DOT – department of transport
DNRSAOCLONL – discount less and non returnable ship and/or cargo lost or not lost
DNV – Det Norske Veritas (Norwegian classification society/standard)
DPU – delivered at place unloaded (incoterm: place of destination, where seller unloads – formerly DAT)
DRAFT – depth to which a ship is immersed in water
DUNNAGE – materials, often timber or matting, placed among cargo for separation and increased stability or to protect the tank tops
DWAT or DWT – Dead Weight – the weight of the cargo, stores, bunkers, water.
EIU – even if used
ELVENT – electrically ventilated
ETA – estimated time of arrival
ETB – estimated time of berthing
ETC -estimated time of completion
ETD -estimated time of departure
ETS -estimated time of sailing
Expload – expected to load
EXW – Ex Works (incoterm: place of delivery, usually the seller’s premises, main carriage unpaid)
FAC -fast as can
FAS – free alongside (incoterm: port of shipment, main carriage unpaid)
FCA – free carrier (incoterm: place of delivery, main carriage unpaid)
FD – free discharge or free despatch
FDD – freight, deadfreight & demurrage
FDES – free despatch
FDEOSDNRSAOCLONL – freight deemed earned on shipment , discountless & Non returnable, ship &/or cargo lost or not lost
FEU – forty foot or equivalent unit (container)
FHEX – Fridays & holidays excluded
FHINC – Fridays & holidays included
FILO – free in/liner out
FIO – free in/out – the ship owner does not incur the loading and discharging costs
FIOS – free in/out and stowed. As per FIO but owner also free to stowage expenses
FIOST – free in/out, stowed and trimmed but can also mean: free in/out and spout trimmed
FIOT – free in/out and trimmed
FLT – full liner terms
FO – free out but can also mean fuel oil
FOB – free onboard (incoterm: port of shipment, main carriage unpaid)
FOW – first open water
FP – free pratique
FRT – freight
FWAD – fresh water arrival draft
FWDD – fresh water departure draft
FYG – for your guidance
FYI – for your information
GA – general average
GA plan – general arrangement plan
GLS (GLESS) – gearless (ship having no cranes or derricks)
GNCN – gencon
GN (or GR) – grain (cubic capacity)
GO – gas oil
GR (or Georot) – geographical rotation
Grain capacity – cubic capacity of a cargo hold or holds measured for bulk cargoes
GRT – gross registered tonnage
GSB – good and safe berth
GSP – good and safe port
GTEE – guarantee
HA – hatch
H and M – hull and machinery
HBF – harmless bulk fertiliser
HBI – Hot Briquetted Iron
HHDW – heavy, handy, deadweight (type of scrap)
HMS – heavy melting scrap
HO – holds (compartment below deck for cargo)
HRC – Hot Rolled Coils
HSS – Heavy grain Sorghums and Soyas
HTUTC – half time used to count (in relation to laytime)
HW – high water
IACS – International Association of Classification Societies
IFO – Intermediate Fuel Oil
IGS – inert gas system
ILOHC – In lieu of hold cleaning (on redelivering a vessel)
ILOW – in lieu of weighing (usually expressed as a percentage, for example 0.5% of freight – for cargoes with high moisture content where the freight is paid on the bill of lading quantity as the delivered weight will be less as the moisture content will reduce during the voyage)
IMO – International Maritime Organisation
INDIC – indication
INL – international navigational limits
ITF – international transport workers federation (crew trade union)
ISM – international safety management
ISPS – international ships and port security system
IU – if used
IWL – Institute Warranty Limits
LAYCAN (also L/C) – laydays and cancelling dates
LAYTIME – time at charterers disposal for the purpose of loading &/or discharging
LBP – length between perpendiculars (of a ship)
LIFO – liner in free out
LMAA – London Maritime Arbitrators Association
LOA – length over all (of the ship)
LOC – letter of credit
LOF – lloyd’s open form
LOI – letter of indemnity
LOW – last open water
LS (or LSUM) – lumpsum
LSFO – low sulphur fuel oil
LT – liner terms – also can mean long tons (2240 lbs)
LTS – laytime saved (laytime)
MARPOL – convention for prevention of pollution from ships
MDO – marine diesel oil
MGO – marine gas oil
MIDSHIP – approximately equidistant from bow and stern of ship
MIN/MAX – minimum/maximum (usually cargo quantity or time charter period)
MOA – memorandum of agreement
MOLCHOPT – more or less in charterers option
MOLOO – more or less in owners option
MOP – Muriate of Potash
MT – metric ton (tonne) 1000 kilos
MV – motor vessel
NAABSA – not always afloat but safely aground
NCB – national cargo bureau
NK – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Japanese classification Society/standard)
NON REVERSIBLE – refers to laytime – the time allowed for loading respectively discharging cannot be computed together
NOR – notice of readiness
NRT – net registered tonnage
NYPE – new york produce exchange
OO – owners option
OBO – ore/bulk/oil (vessel)
OWS – owners
P&I – protection & indemnity (insurance)
PDPR – per day or pro rata
PHPD – per hatch per day
PICO – port in charterer’s option
PUS – past us
PWH – per workable hatch
PWHPD – per workable hatch per day
PWWD – per weather working day
QWT – quay weight and tonnage dues (German ports)