Complete Glossary of
Marine Terms & Abbreviations
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Back Freight
Payment due to the shipowner for the carriage of goods beyond the contract port, owing to circumstances beyond the control of the shipowner
BAF
Bunker Adjustment Factor is a surcharge levied by the shipping company to cover any extra fuel costs incurred between the time a freight rate is quoted and when the goods are shipped. BAF could be a rebate if bunkering costs had decreased in the meantime.
Ballast
Weight put in a ship to help to keep her stable; nowadays this is usually seawater.
BARE BOAT CHARTER
The Charterer hires the vessel for a long period, appoints the master and crew, and pays all running expenses.
Barratry
A fraudulent, criminal or wrongful act by the ship's master or crew causing loss or dam¬age to the ship or cargo.
Bd.
Bond
Beam
the width of a ship at her widest part
Bear away
To steer the boat away from the direction of the wind
Beating
Sailing to windward, by tacking with the wind first on one side, and then on the other
Beaufort Scale
A wind scale and sea disturbance table by which mariners grade the force of wind and height of waves, thus communicating the general condition of the sea to others by use of a wind force number.
Benefit of Insurance Clause
A clause in a contract between the insured and a bailee by which the bailee of goods claims the benefit of any insurance policy effected by the cargo owner on the goods in care of the bailee. Such a clause in a contract of carriage, issued in accordance with the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, is void at law.
BIFA - British International Freight Association
Trade Association of British Freight Forwarders.
Bill of Lading
The most common form of affreightment which serves three purposes: the contract of carriage between the shipowner and shipper, outlining the liabil¬ity of carrier, it is also the shipowner's receipt for the goods and the docu¬ment of title to them; (i.e., as a negotiable document, interest can be as¬signed to a third party).
Bight
the middle of a rope; not the ends
Bilge
the curve of the lower underwater part of a boat, nearest the keel
BILL OF EXCHANGE (Abbreviation BE)
An order in writing from one person or company to another requiring them to pay a certain sum to a person named on the Bill of Exchange.
A term, tenor or usance draft is a Bill of Exchange that is payable at a fixed or determinable future date. A determinable future date would be, for example, '90 days after sight'.
A sight draft, on the other hand, is one that calls for payment immediately upon presentation to the drawee.
BIMCO - Baltic and International Maritime Council
A Danish based organisation to which many shipowners belong that represents their interests and assists by preparing standard charter parties and other shipping documents and providing other advisory services.
Bitter end
Inboard end of an anchor cable
Bls.
Bales. Barrels
Blue Peter
A rectangular flag, blue with a white square in the centre, which may be displayed to indicate that a ship is ready to proceed.
Bollard
A vertical post on ship or shore, for securing mooring lines
Bonded Goods
Imported goods deposited in a Government warehouse until duty is paid.
Bonded Shipments
Shipments on which duty is payable, but which are permitted to travel to inland destinations before customs inspection is made and duty is actually paid.
Bonding Company
An organisation that is prepared to undertake an agreement to make good a financial guarantee on behalf of another responsible for such guarantee. Owners of “arrested” vessels may obtain such a hood to satisfy a court and to obtain release of the vessel.
Boom
A spar used for extending the foot of a sail
Boom vang
A rope used to hold a boom forward and downward
Boot Topping
A protective composition painted round the hull of a ship to prevent corrosion between the load and light waterlines.
Bosun's chair
A seat which can be attached to a halyard for sending a man aloft
Bottom Limit
The maximum value at risk per shipment/sending/aircraft.
Bottom Treatment Clause
A clause in the Institute bull clauses, whereby underwriters specify the extent to which they shall be liable for surface preparation and primer painting of plates in repairing the bottom of a ship damaged by an insured peril.
Bottonry Bill or Bond
The pledge of a ship, or of her cargo, as security for repayment of money advanced to the master in an emergency, and of no avail if the ship be lost
Bow Thruster
A propeller used to provide a transverse thrust to the bow of the ship and to assist movement in confined spaces.
Bowline
a common marine knot that forms a fixed loop
Bowsprit
Spar projecting forward from the stem
Box
Colloquial name for container.
Box Rate
A specific freight rate (usually defined by individual commodity) for shipment of a full container, irrespective of the volume that it contains.
Exporters / Importers should check whether heavyweight containers are acceptable, particularly if their product has a weight-to-volume ratio, since they are often able to ship additional material without incurring extra freight costs.
Boxtime
A standard BIMCO time charter for containerships.
BRANDS CLAUSE
Provides that where a brand or trademark constitutes a guarantee by the name of the manufacturers, any salvage value in the event of a loss shall be assessed after the brand or trademark has been removed.
BREACH OF WARRANTY
The UK Marine Insurance Act 1906 and subsequent Acts throughout the Commonwealth (Canada 1993) demand that the insured comply literally with any warranty in the policy, whether it be an express warranty or an implied warranty.
Non compliance, where not excused, is termed "breach of warranty" and discharges the underwriter from all liability under the policy, whether or not it relates to the breach, as from the date of the breach; but without prejudice to any valid claims arising from accidents occurring prior to the date of the breach.
Breach of warranty is excused where circumstances have changed so that the warranty has become unnecessary; or where it would be illegal to comply with the warranty; or where the policy conditions waive breach of warranty.
BREACH OF WARRANTY CLAUSE
Is a clause in a policy whereby underwriters waive breach of certain specified warranties.
In hull policies, the clause relates only to warranties as to cargo, trade, locality, towage, salvage services or date of sailing, and requires prompt notice, and amended conditions and an additional premium if underwriters so desire.
There is no similar clause in cargo policies as a standard, but cargo underwriters usually waive breach of the implied warranties of seaworthiness and cargo-worthiness of the overseas carrying vessel, provided the insured are not privy to that seaworthiness and cargo-worthiness.
Break Bulk
Applies to goods that have been stripped from containers (or other form of bulk carriage) for forwarding to final destination.
Goods shipped loose in the vessel's hold and not in a container.
Breaking Bulk
The initial opening of hatches on entering port and the commencement of discharge of cargo.
Breasthook
A place bracket joining the starboard and port stringers at the bow of a ship.
Bridge
The bridge is the structure from where a vessel is navigated and directed
Broach
to swing broadside to the sea
Broker
An agent representing a principal to buy or sell goods, merchandise or marketable securities, or to negotiate insurance, freight rates or other matters for a principal; the sales or transactions being negotiated not in his own name but in that of the principal.
bsst
Brick or stone built, slated or tiled
Bulkhead
vertical partition dividing a cabin or hold [nautical term for a wall]
Bulwarks
solid rails around the deck edge of a vessel
Bumbershoot
American form of excess layer liability cover
Bunkers
A ship's fuel for its engines
Burgee
A triangular flag denoting membership a sailing club, flown at the masthead
By the head
A vessel trimmed bow down (i.e. the front of the vessel is lower than the rear)
By the lee
When a sailing vessel is running downwind, if the wind blows from the side on which the boom is lying, possibly causing a gybe
By the stern
A vessel trimmed stern down
B.B. Clause
Both to blame collision clause
B.I.
Business interruption. Bodily injury
B.I.A.
British Insurance Association
B.I.B.A.
British Insurance Brokers' Association
B.I.F.U.
Banking, Insurance and Finance Union
B.I.I.C.
British Insurers' International Committee
B.I.L.A.
British Insurance Law Association
B.I.P.A.R.
Bureau International des Producters d'Assurance et de Réassurance (International Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers and Agents)
B.M.U.A.
British Marine Underwriters Associations
B.N.A.
British North America
B.R.
Builders' risk (Marine)
B.S.
Boiler survey. British standard
B.S.I.
British Standards Institution
B.S.T.
British Summer Time
B.T.U.
British Thermal Unit
B.V.
Bureau Veritas
B/E
Bill of Exchange
B/G
Bonded goods
B/H
Bordeaux/Hamburg limits
B/L Ton - Bill of Lading Ton
The greater weight or measurement of goods where 1 ton is either 1000 kilos or 1 cubic metre (also called Freight Ton).