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Glossary of Maritime Terms

A

  1. Aft: Toward the stern of the vessel.
  2. Allision: The impact of a vessel with a stationary object such as an anchored vessel or a pier.
  3. Astern: In back of the vessel, opposite of ahead.

B

  1. Barge: A long, large, usually flatbottom vessel for transporting cargo that is generally unpowered and towed or pushed by another vessel.
  2. Bilge: The almost flat part of a ship’s bottom, inside or out.
  3. Bilgewater: Dirty water that collects inside the bilge.
  4. BIMCO: An acronym which stands for "Baltic and International Maritime Council."
  5. Blue Water: This term is generally used to refer to oceans or other deep water. For instance, a blue water seaman is a seaman who serves aboard an ocean-going vessel.
  6. Bow: The forward part of a vessel.
  7. Brown Water: This term is generally used in contrast to "blue water" or "green water" and essentially means rivers. A brown water seaman is a seaman who serves aboard a vessel which operates on rivers.

C

  1. Cargo: Goods carried on a vessel. For admiralty purposes, cargo and freight are not synonymous.
  2. Channel: (1) A length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas. (2) A band of frequencies used in radio transmission. (3) The navigable part of a waterway.
  3. COGSA: An acronym which stands for "Carriage Of Goods by Sea Act."
  4. Collision: The crashing together of two or more vessels.

D

  1. Deck: A platform in a ship covering all or part of the hull’s area at any level and serving as a floor
  2. Deckhand: A person employed in cleaning and odd jobs on a ship’s deck.
  3. Dolphin: (1) A pile or buoy for mooring. (2) A structure for protecting the piles of a pier or bridge.
  4. Downriver: Toward or near the mouth of a river; in the direction of the river’s current.
  5. Draft: The depth of water needed to float a vessel.

E

F

  1. Fathom: A unit of measurement equal to six feet. Fathoms are typically used to measure the depth of water.
  2. Forecastle: The forward part of a ship. You will sometimes also see the term spelled fo’c’s’le.
  3. Forward: Toward the bow of the vessel.
  4. Freight: The charge for the transportation of cargo.

G

  1. Green Water: This term is generally used to refer to coastal areas. Green water would be in between blue water and brown water.

H

  1. Hull: The body or frame of a vessel.

I

J

K

  1. Knot: A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour.
  2. Kort Nozzle: A cylindrical fitting around a vessel’s propeller, tapered inward toward the stern to increase thrust and maneuverability.

L

  1. Longshoreman: A person employed to load and unload ships.

M

  1. M/V: A prefix meaning "motor vessel."

N

  1. Nautical Mile: One minute of latitude; approximately 6,076 feet - about 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5,280 feet.
  2. Navigation Channel:

O

P

  1. Pier: A structure of iron or wood raised on piles and leading out to sea, a lake, etc., used as a promenade and landing place.
  2. Pile: A heavy beam driven vertically into the bed of a river to support the foundation of a superstructure.
  3. Port: The left side of a vessel looking forward.
  4. Propeller: A machine for propelling a vessel, consisting of a power-driven shaft with radiating blades that are placed so as to thrust water in a desired direction when spinning.
  5. PWC: An acronym which stands for Personal Water Craft (i.e. WaveRunner, Seadoo, etc.).

Q

  1. Quarterdeck: Part of a ship’s upper deck near the stern.
  2. Quay: A solid, stationary, artificial landing place lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships.
  3. Quayside: The land forming or near a quay.

R

  1. Rudder: A vertically hinged plate of metal, fiberglass, or wood mounted at the stern of a vessel for directing its course.

S

  1. S.S.: A prefix meaning "steam ship."
  2. S.V.: A prefix meaning "sailing vessel."
  3. Screw: A term commonly used to refer to a vessel’s propeller.
  4. Seaman: A sailor.
  5. Shoal: (1) An area of shallow water. (2) A submerged sandbank visible at low water.
  6. Starboard: The right side of a vessel when looking forward.
  7. Stern: The after part of the vessel.
  8. Strait: A narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water.
  9. Superstructure: The parts of a vessel’s structure above the main deck.

T

  1. Towboat: A shallow-draft vessel with a squared bow designed and fitted for pushing tows of barges on inland waterways.
  2. Tugboat: A small powerful boat used for towing larger boats and ships.

U

  1. Upriver: Toward or at a point nearer to the source of a river; against the direction of the river’s current.

V

  1. Vessel: Defined in 1 U.S.C. § 3 as "every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water."

W

  1. Wake: The visible track of turbulence left by a vessel moving through water.
  2. Wharf: A level quayside area to which a ship may be moved to load or unload.
  3. Wheel: A term commonly used to refer to a vessel’s propeller. Use of this term dates back to the days of steam-power when vessels were propelled by one or more paddle-wheels.

X

Y

Z

 

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