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Waiting Time

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The period of time between the moment at which one is ready for an activity to start and the moment at which this activity can actually begin. See also queue time.

Waiver Clause

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Clause in a marine insurance policy stating that no acts of the insurer or insured in recovering, saving or preserving the property insured, shall be considered a dismissal from or acceptance of abandonment.

Wake

Source page ref: 640
The disturbed flow of water behind a moving hull, whose pattern affects the flow into the propeller and the ship's resistance.

Wake equalization duct

Source page ref: 640
A duct fitted ahead of the propeller that evens out the wake flow into it, improving efficiency and reducing vibration.

Wake fraction coefficient

Source page ref: 640
A factor expressing how much slower the water flows into the propeller than the ship's speed, used in propulsion calculations.

Wake-field

Source page ref: 640
The distribution of water velocity in the plane of the propeller behind the hull, important for propeller design and vibration.

Warming up

Source page ref: 269
The gradual heating of machinery, such as an engine or turbine, before it is put under load, to avoid thermal stress.

Warping head, warping end, gypsy head

Source page ref: 641
The drum on a winch or windlass used for heaving on mooring or warping lines.

Warsaw Convention

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929, or that Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol, 1955, stipulating obligations or parties and limitations and/or exonerations of carriers (aircargo).

Wash

Source page ref: 641
The waves and disturbed water created by a moving vessel; also the action of washing a tank.

Wash bulkhead

Source page ref: 641
A perforated or partial bulkhead in a tank that limits the movement of liquid and reduces sloshing; see swash bulkhead.

Washing machines

Source page ref: 641
Machines for washing, including tank-cleaning machines aboard tankers and laundry equipment for the crew.

Waste

Source page ref: 641
Material to be discarded, the handling and disposal of which aboard ship is regulated under MARPOL, particularly garbage under Annex V. IMO-grounded

Waste Disposal

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Processing and or removal to final resting place or transfer to a place for re-use or recovering of waste.

Waste heat boiler

Source page ref: 642
A boiler that raises steam using the heat in an engine's exhaust gas, improving overall fuel efficiency.

Waste heat recovery (WHR)

Source page ref: 642
The capture of heat from exhaust gas and other sources to generate steam or power, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Waste Logistics

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The collection of used, damaged, or outdated products and or packaging from designated users. Synonym: Reverse Distribution.

Waste management plan

Source page ref: 642
A plan, such as the garbage management plan required under MARPOL Annex V, setting out how shipboard wastes are collected, stored, treated, and disposed of. IMO-grounded

Waste water treatment systems

Source page ref: 642
Systems that treat sewage and grey water aboard to a standard allowing discharge, in accordance with MARPOL Annex IV. IMO-grounded

Watch

Source page ref: 642
A period of duty aboard ship, and the personnel on duty during it; the keeping of safe navigational and engineering watches is governed by STCW. IMO-grounded

Watch alarm

Source page ref: 643
An alarm that confirms the watchkeeper is alert, raising warnings and calling for assistance if not acknowledged. IMO-grounded

Watch alarm system

Source page ref: 643
The bridge navigational watch alarm system (BNWAS) that monitors the officer of the watch's alertness and raises an alarm if the watch becomes incapacitated, required under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Water curtain

Source page ref: 643
A screen of water spray used to protect a surface or boundary from heat and fire, for example on a tanker's accommodation front.

Water fog

Source page ref: 643
A fine spray of water used to cool and smother a fire while limiting the amount of water applied.

Water level detector

Source: SOLAS II-1/25-1 · MSC.482(103)
An alarm device that detects the accumulation of water in a cargo hold and warns the bridge so that flooding can be identified early. SOLAS regulation II-1/25-1, adopted by resolution MSC.482(103), requires water level detectors on multiple-hold cargo ships other than bulk carriers and tankers. IMO-grounded

Water level gauge

Source page ref: 643
A device showing the water level in a boiler or tank.

Water seal

Source page ref: 643
A barrier formed by a body of water that prevents the passage of gas, as in the deck seal of an inert-gas system on tankers. IMO-grounded

Water spray

Source page ref: 643
A fire-fighting medium of water in droplets, used in fixed water-spray systems to protect spaces such as vehicle decks and machinery, under SOLAS and the FSS Code. IMO-grounded

Water-based local fire fighting system

Source page ref: 643
A fixed water-spray or water-mist system protecting a specific high-risk area such as around engines and boilers, required under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Waterjet

Source page ref: 643
A propulsion device that draws in water and expels it astern at high velocity to produce thrust, used on fast craft for speed and manoeuvrability.

Waterjet propulsion

Source page ref: 644
Propulsion by waterjets, giving high speed, good shallow-water capability, and precise low-speed control.

Waterline

Source page ref: 644
The line where the surface of the water meets the hull, varying with loading and trim.

Waterline

Added — maritime supplement
The line along a ship's hull where the surface of the water meets it, varying with the loading condition and trim. The designed and actual waterlines are fundamental references for draught, freeboard, and hull-form definition.

Waterplane area

Source page ref: 644
The area of the horizontal section of the hull at the waterline, which governs the ship's resistance to changes of draught and its initial stability.

Watertight

Source page ref: 644
Capable of preventing the passage of water under the pressure head that may occur in service, a standard required of subdivision boundaries and their closures under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Watertight door

Source page ref: 644
A door in a watertight bulkhead that maintains watertight integrity when closed; its type, control, and operation are regulated by SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Watertight doors

Source page ref: 185
Doors that preserve the watertight integrity of bulkheads, with requirements for their construction, indication, and remote operation under SOLAS. IMO-grounded

Watertight Integrity Plan

Source page ref: 644
A plan showing the ship's watertight boundaries, openings, and their means of closure, supporting the maintenance of watertight integrity and damage control. IMO-grounded

Wave

Source page ref: 644
A disturbance travelling across the water surface, the principal source of the dynamic loads and motions a ship experiences at sea.

Waveslope capacity of the fin stabiliser

Source page ref: 644
A measure of the range of wave-induced motion over which a fin stabiliser remains effective in reducing roll.

WAY

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Movement of a ship through water such as headway, sternway or leeway.

Waybill

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Non-negotiable document evidencing the contract for the transport of cargo.

WCCON

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Whether Customs Cleared Or Not.

Wear

Source page ref: 646
The gradual loss of material from a surface through friction, abrasion, or erosion in service.

Wear And Tear

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Loss or deterioration resulting from ordinary use.

Weardown gauge

Source page ref: 646
A gauge used to measure the wear (weardown) of a bearing, such as a stern-tube bearing, to assess its condition.

Weather chart facsimile, weatherfax

Source page ref: 646
A radio service and receiver that prints weather charts aboard ship, supporting passage planning and heavy-weather avoidance.

Weather deck

Source page ref: 167
A deck exposed to the weather and sea, whose openings must be capable of being closed weathertight under the Load Line Convention. IMO-grounded

Weathertight

Source page ref: 646
Capable of preventing the passage of water into the ship in any sea condition, the standard required of weather-deck closures under the Load Line Convention. IMO-grounded

Weathertight door

Source page ref: 646
A door that prevents the entry of water in any sea condition, required for openings in exposed positions under the Load Line Convention. IMO-grounded

Web

Source page ref: 646
The flat part of a structural member between its flanges, such as the web of a girder or floor.

Web frame

Source page ref: 646
A deep, strong transverse frame that supports the ordinary frames and stiffens the structure at intervals.

Wedge cleat

Source page ref: 108
A cleat that secures a hatch cover or closure by driving a wedge to tighten it against its seal.

Weight Ton

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
A ton of 1000 kilos.

Weld defects

Source page ref: 646
Imperfections in a weld, such as cracks, porosity, lack of fusion, slag inclusions, and undercut, which may reduce its strength and are limited by acceptance criteria.

Weld metal corrosion

Source page ref: 647
Preferential corrosion of the weld metal relative to the surrounding plate, which can occur where their compositions differ.

Weldability

Source page ref: 647
The ease with which a material can be welded to produce sound joints with the required properties.

Welder

Source page ref: 647
A person who joins metal by welding.

Welder certification

Source page ref: 647
The formal qualification of a welder, by test, to perform welding to a given standard, required for structural work.

Welder qualification test

Source page ref: 647
A test weld made by a welder to demonstrate the skill to produce sound welds of a particular type and position.

Welding

Source page ref: 647
The joining of metals by fusing them together, with or without filler metal, the principal method of building steel ships.

Welding machine

Source page ref: 647
Equipment that provides and controls the power for welding.

Welding operator

Source page ref: 647
A person who operates mechanised or automatic welding equipment.

Welding procedure

Source page ref: 647
A documented and qualified method specifying how a particular weld is to be made, including the process, materials, and parameters.

Welding sequence

Source page ref: 647
The order in which welds are made to control distortion and residual stress in a structure.

Welding shrinkage

Source page ref: 647
The contraction of weld metal and surrounding material as it cools, which causes distortion that must be allowed for.

Well fluid properties

Source page ref: 648
The characteristics of the oil, gas, and water produced from a well, which influence the design of offshore processing and handling.

Well intervention vessel

Source page ref: 648
An offshore vessel equipped to enter and service subsea wells without a drilling rig, for maintenance and repair.

Well maintenance

Source page ref: 648
The servicing and repair of oil and gas wells to keep them producing.

Well Test Systems

Source page ref: 649
Equipment used to test the flow and characteristics of a well, often aboard offshore vessels and units.

Wellhead

Source page ref: 649
The equipment at the top of a well, on the seabed or a platform, that controls and connects to the well.

Wet film thickness

Source page ref: 234
The thickness of a coating immediately after application while still wet, measured to ensure the correct dry film thickness will result.

Wet shafting

Source page ref: 553
A propeller-shaft arrangement in which the stern-tube bearings are lubricated by seawater rather than oil.

Wet submersible

Source page ref: 587
A small submersible in which the occupants are exposed to the water and breathe from apparatus, as opposed to a dry, pressurised one.

Wet surface hull scanner (WSHS)

Source page ref: 649
A device that inspects the underwater hull surface while the ship is afloat, for example to assess fouling and coating condition.

Wetted surface

Source page ref: 649
The area of the hull in contact with the water, which determines the frictional resistance.

WG COLUBMUS

Source page ref: 544
An OCR-rendered proprietary name (Columbus), likely a vessel or system designation.

WHARF

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
A place for berthing vessels to facilitate loading and discharging of cargo.

Wharfage

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The fee charged for the use of a wharf for mooring, loading or discharging a vessel or for storing goods.

Wheelhouse

Source page ref: 652
The enclosed part of the bridge from which the ship is steered and navigated.

Wheelhouse poster

Source page ref: 365
A poster displayed in the wheelhouse summarising the ship's manoeuvring characteristics for quick reference, recommended by the IMO. IMO-grounded

Whistle

Source page ref: 652
A sound-signalling appliance used to make the signals prescribed by the collision regulations (COLREGs). IMO-grounded

White metal

Source page ref: 652
A soft bearing alloy, usually tin- or lead-based, lining bearings to provide a low-friction surface.

White petroleum oils

Source page ref: 652
The lighter, clean refined petroleum products such as gasoline, kerosene, and gas oil, as distinct from dark (black) oils.

WHO

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
See World Health Organization.

Wholesaler

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
An intermediary between manufacturers and retailers in various activities such as promotion, warehousing, and the arranging of transport and or distribution.

WIBON

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Whether In Berth Or Not

Wide Tow

Source page ref: 649
A tow whose width exceeds normal limits, requiring special precautions and lights.

WIFPON

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Whether In Free Pratique Or Not

Winch

Source page ref: 652
A powered drum machine used to haul on ropes or wires for mooring, cargo, or other purposes.

Wind and water strakes

Source page ref: 653
The strakes of side shell plating around the waterline, alternately wetted and exposed, which are particularly prone to corrosion.

Wind Turbine IMR Unit

Source page ref: 385
A vessel or unit equipped to inspect, maintain, and repair offshore wind turbines.

Wind Turbine Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Unit

Source page ref: 653
A specialised offshore vessel for installing, servicing, and repairing wind turbines, often with a jack-up capability and heavy-lift crane.

Windlass

Source page ref: 653
The deck machine used to raise and lower the anchor and its cable, and often to handle mooring lines.

Windlass

Added — maritime supplement
The deck machine used to heave in and pay out the anchor cable and to hold the anchor, working the chain over a cable lifter. Its design and holding capacity are matched to the ship's anchoring equipment as determined by the equipment number. IMO-grounded

Windlass trials

Source page ref: 653
Trials demonstrating that the windlass can hoist the anchor and cable at the required speed and hold the design load.

Windows

Source page ref: 653
Glazed openings in the superstructure and deckhouses; those in exposed positions must meet strength and, where required, weathertight standards. IMO-grounded

Windward

Source page ref: 653
The direction from which the wind is blowing; the side of the ship facing the wind.

Wing in ground-effect craft (WIG)

Source page ref: 653
A craft that flies just above the surface supported by ground effect; the IMO has developed guidelines for WIG craft operating over water. IMO-grounded

Wing tank

Source page ref: 596
A tank located at the side of the ship, used for ballast or cargo and, on double-hull tankers, helping protect the cargo tanks from side damage. IMO-grounded

Wing tank

Added — maritime supplement
A tank located at the side of a ship, outboard of the cargo holds or centre tanks, used for ballast or, in some designs, cargo. In double-hull tankers the wing ballast tanks form part of the protective spaces around the cargo tanks required by MARPOL. IMO-grounded

WIPON

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Whether In Port Or Not

Wire winder

Source page ref: 653
A machine that spools wire onto or off a drum in a controlled manner.

Wiring diagram

Source page ref: 653
A drawing showing the connections of an electrical system.

WLTOHC

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Water Line-To-Hatch Coaming

WOG

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Without Guarantee

Work Load

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The quantity of work ahead assigned to a certain facility such as a work station, capacity group or a department respectively staff-member.

Workboat

Source page ref: 653
A small, versatile vessel used for harbour and offshore tasks such as towing, line handling, and support.

Working raft

Source page ref: 654
A raft used as a working platform, for example alongside the hull or in offshore operations.

Workmanship

Source page ref: 654
The standard of skill and care with which work, such as welding and coating, is carried out, affecting the quality and durability of the result.

Workover

Source page ref: 655
Major maintenance or repair work carried out on an oil or gas well to restore or improve its production.

Workshop

Source page ref: 655
A space aboard equipped with tools and machines for maintenance and repair work.

Workstation

Source page ref: 655
A position equipped for a particular function, such as a bridge navigation or monitoring workstation.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
The global agency linked with the United Nations and cooperating with other technical agencies relating to health matters at sea and on land.

WP

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Weather Permitting. That time during which weather prevents working shall not count as laytime.

WPD

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Weather Permitting Day

Wreck

Source page ref: 655
A ship that has been sunk, stranded, or destroyed, the removal of which may be required for safety and is addressed by international convention. IMO-grounded

Wrecked/stranded

Source page ref: 2
The condition of a ship that has been wrecked or has run aground and is held fast.

WRIC

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Wire Rods In Collis

WWD

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Weather Working Day

WWPC

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Worldwide Project Consortium

WWR

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
When, Where Ready

WWWW

Source: Chartering & Shipping Terms Glossary
Wibon, Wccon, Wifpon, Wipon