V

Equipment used to clean spaces by suction; industrial types are used for cleaning cargo residues and dust.

Toilets that use a vacuum to remove waste with little water, common aboard ship to reduce water use and the volume of sewage.

A consignment which contains one or more valuable articles (aircargo).

A clause in a marine policy that fixes the insured value.

Transport charges for certain goods, based on the value declared for the carriage of such goods (aircargo).

A form of indirect sales tax paid on products and services at each stage of production or distribution, based on the value added at that stage and included in the cost to the ultimate customer.

A surcharge for the carriage of cargo having a value in excess of a specified amount per kilogram (aircargo).

A device that controls the flow of a fluid in a pipe by opening, closing, or restricting the passage.

A removable housing holding an engine valve, allowing it to be withdrawn for maintenance as a unit.

The relationship between a valve's opening and the flow it passes, which determines its suitability for isolating or regulating duties.

A grouping of valves in a common housing or manifold, simplifying the arrangement of a system.

The moving part of a valve that seats to stop flow and lifts to allow it.

An arrangement of valves at a common junction used to direct flows between several lines.

A system that captures and controls the vapours displaced from cargo tanks during loading, preventing their release to the atmosphere, used on tankers at terminals. IMO-grounded

Piping that carries cargo vapour, for example for vapour return during loading or for venting on tankers and gas carriers.

A device that allows a sounding or sampling tube to be used while limiting the escape of cargo vapour to the atmosphere. IMO-grounded

The pressure exerted by the vapour of a liquid in equilibrium with it, a measure of the liquid's volatility important for cargo handling.

A pipeline connecting ship and shore, or ship and ship, that returns cargo vapours displaced during loading back to the source, forming part of a vapour emission control system that limits hydrocarbon release to the atmosphere.

An engine feature that varies the timing of fuel injection with load to optimise efficiency and emissions.

An engine feature that varies the timing of inlet-valve closing to control the effective compression and improve efficiency and emissions.

See Value Added Tax.

A maritime radiocommunication system that extends the Automatic Identification System by providing higher-capacity, two-way digital data exchange between ships and between ship and shore, supporting e-navigation. Amendments to SOLAS Chapter V and the HSC Code agreed at MSC 110 allow its use. IMO-grounded

Cargo spaces intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with fuel in their tanks, subject to particular ventilation and fire-protection requirements under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Identical to the GP, except for the inclusion of full length ventilation galleries sited along the top and bottom side rails, and thus ideal for the carriage of coffee, as condesation is prevented from accumulating. 20’ only.

The supply and movement of air through spaces for breathing, cooling, and the removal of fumes; ventilation arrangements and their closure in a fire are governed by SOLAS. IMO-grounded

The controlled supply and extraction of air in cargo spaces to manage temperature, humidity, and the removal of harmful or flammable gases, protecting both the cargo and personnel. Ventilation requirements depend on the cargo, and are addressed in codes such as the IMSBC Code for solid bulk cargoes. IMO-grounded

A fitting that admits or extracts air to and from a space.

The required heights of ventilator coamings above the deck, set by the Load Line Convention to keep out water. IMO-grounded

The top of a ventilator, often shaped or fitted with closing devices to admit air while excluding rain and spray.

The arrangement that relieves and controls the pressure in chemical cargo tanks and safely disperses vapours, required under the IBC Code. IMO-grounded

The total verified weight of a packed container, which the shipper must determine and provide to the carrier and terminal before the container may be loaded aboard ship, under SOLAS regulation VI/2. Effective 1 July 2016, the requirement aims to prevent accidents caused by mis-declared container weights. IMO-grounded

Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Netwide Index to Computerized Archives. A search tool (like archie) that searches text that appears in Gopher menus.

A marine evacuation system using a vertical chute down which people descend from the ship to a liferaft or platform. IMO-grounded

A welding position in which the weld is made on a vertical joint, worked upward or downward.

A very large oil tanker, broadly in the range of about 200,000 to 320,000 deadweight tonnes, used to carry crude oil on long-haul routes.

A floating structure designed for the transport of cargo and/or passengers. Synonym: Ship, Boiler, Drum.

Under the collision regulations, a power-driven vessel so restricted by its draught relative to the depth and width of water that it cannot deviate from its course, which shows prescribed lights and shapes. IMO-grounded

Under the collision regulations, a vessel fishing with gear that restricts its manoeuvrability, which has particular rights and shows prescribed lights and shapes. IMO-grounded

Under the collision regulations, a vessel unable to manoeuvre as required because of exceptional circumstances, which shows prescribed lights and shapes. IMO-grounded

A standardised OCIMF document recording a tanker's key particulars and equipment, used by terminals and charterers during vetting and berth planning.

Under the collision regulations, a vessel whose work (such as dredging, cable laying, or surveying) restricts its manoeuvrability, which shows prescribed lights and shapes. IMO-grounded

An independent safety and quality inspection of a tanker, commonly under the oil majors' Ship Inspection Report programme, used by charterers to decide whether to employ a vessel. It complements, but is separate from, statutory and class surveys.

A device that absorbs and reduces vibration, such as a torsional vibration damper fitted to a crankshaft.

A bridge or engine watch-alarm system that monitors the watchkeeper's alertness and raises an alarm if no activity is detected. IMO-grounded

A fluid's resistance to flow, an important property of fuels and oils that must be controlled, for example by heating heavy fuel before injection.

Pumps essential to the safe operation of the ship, such as those for cooling, lubrication, and fuel, whose supply must be maintained. IMO-grounded

See Very Large Crude Carrier.

A ship-specific plan required for crude oil tankers under MARPOL Annex VI, setting out how emissions of volatile organic compounds from the cargo are to be minimised during loading, carriage, and discharge. IMO-grounded

An enclosed empty space in the ship's structure, not used for cargo, ballast, or stores, often acting as a barrier or buffer.

A proprietary steering device based on the cycloidal (vertical-blade) principle, providing thrust and steering in any direction.

A proprietary fin fitted ahead of the propeller to recover energy and improve propulsive efficiency.

A highly manoeuvrable tug using Voith Schneider cycloidal propulsion for precise control.

Petroleum products with a low flashpoint that readily give off flammable vapour, requiring stringent fire precautions in carriage. IMO-grounded

The largest difference in container availability taking into account past peaks in net demand after having removed the trend in container demand during the repositioning trade-off period.

Size or measure of anything in three dimensions.

A charge for carriage of goods based on their volume (aircargo).

The volume of water displaced by the immersed hull, which multiplied by the water density gives the ship's displacement.

A receipt, entry or other document which establish the accounts.

A journey by sea from one port or country to another one or, in case of a round trip, to the same port. Synonym: Trip

A contract under which the shipowner agrees to carry an agreed quantity of cargo from a specified port or ports to another port or ports for a remuneration called freight, which is calculated according to the quantity of cargo loaded, or sometimes at a lumpsum freight.

A protected recorder that continuously stores navigation, communication, and other data for casualty investigation, required for certain ships under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Reference number assigned by the carrier or his agent to the voyage of the vessel.

Vessel Pays Dues