Maritime English glossary
138 terms every seafarer meets on board and in recruitment tests, explained in plain English. Type to filter.
The ship
- Bow
- The front end of the ship.
- Stern
- The back end of the ship.
- Port side
- The left side of the ship when you face the bow.
- Starboard
- The right side of the ship when you face the bow.
- Amidships
- The middle part of the ship.
- Forward / aft
- Towards the bow / towards the stern.
- Hull
- The main body of the ship that sits in the water.
- Keel
- The backbone of the hull, running along the very bottom.
- Draft (draught)
- How deep the hull sits below the waterline.
- Freeboard
- The distance from the waterline up to the main deck.
- Superstructure
- The structure built above the main deck, usually with the accommodation and bridge.
- Accommodation
- The living quarters: cabins, mess rooms, offices.
- Bridge
- The command centre of the ship, from where she is navigated.
- Wheelhouse
- The enclosed part of the bridge with the helm.
- Bridge wing
- The open platform at each side of the bridge, used during berthing.
- Forecastle (fo'c'sle)
- The raised deck at the bow, with the anchor and mooring equipment.
- Cargo hold
- The big space under the hatch covers where cargo is carried.
- Hatch cover
- The heavy cover that closes a cargo hold and keeps it dry.
- Ballast tank
- A tank filled with sea water to keep the ship stable and trimmed.
- Galley
- The ship's kitchen.
- Mess room
- The room where the crew eats.
- Funnel
- The ship's chimney, carrying engine exhaust up and away.
On deck
- Mooring line
- A rope that holds the ship to the berth.
- Spring line
- A mooring line led at an angle that stops the ship moving ahead or astern.
- Bollard
- A strong post on the quay (or deck) that mooring lines are put on.
- Fairlead
- A fitting that guides a mooring line over the ship's side.
- Winch
- A machine with a drum used to heave lines or wires.
- Windlass
- The machine that heaves and lowers the anchor chain.
- Anchor cable
- The heavy chain between the ship and the anchor.
- To let go
- To release: 'let go the lines', 'let go the anchor'.
- To make fast
- To secure a line. The opposite of 'let go'.
- Heave up
- To pull in or lift, e.g. the anchor.
- Slack / taut
- Loose / tight, said about ropes and wires.
- Gangway
- The walkway used to board or leave the ship.
- Pilot ladder
- The rope ladder the pilot uses to climb on board.
- Fender
- A cushion between the hull and the quay that protects both.
- Lashing
- Chain, wire or strap that holds cargo in place at sea.
- Load line (Plimsoll mark)
- The mark on the hull showing the deepest legal loading.
Navigation & bridge
- Course
- The direction the ship is steered, in degrees: 000 north, 090 east, 180 south, 270 west.
- Heading
- The direction the bow points at a given moment.
- Knot
- One nautical mile per hour: the unit of speed at sea.
- Nautical mile
- 1852 metres, the distance unit at sea.
- Cable
- One tenth of a nautical mile, roughly 185 metres.
- ETA / ETD
- Estimated time of arrival / departure.
- Chart
- The sea map used for navigation.
- Fairway
- The safe navigable channel in and out of a port.
- Buoy
- A floating mark showing channels, dangers or mooring points.
- Pilot
- A local expert who advises the Master in confined waters. The Master stays in command.
- Tug
- A small powerful vessel that pushes or pulls ships during manoeuvres.
- VTS
- Vessel Traffic Service: the shore station that monitors and informs traffic.
- Helm
- The steering wheel or steering control. 'Take the helm' = steer.
- Lookout
- The person whose duty is to watch for danger, ships and lights.
- Watch
- A duty period, usually four hours, e.g. the 8-12 watch.
- To relieve the watch
- To take over duty from another person.
- Underway
- Moving through the water, not anchored, moored or aground.
- At anchor / alongside
- Held by the anchor / moored to the berth.
- Aground
- Touching the bottom: the ship cannot float free.
- Windward / leeward
- The side facing the wind / the sheltered side.
Engine room
- Main engine
- The engine that drives the propeller.
- Auxiliary engine (generator)
- An engine that produces electrical power.
- Boiler
- Produces steam or hot water.
- Purifier (separator)
- Cleans fuel or lube oil by spinning out water and dirt.
- Compressor
- Produces compressed air, e.g. for starting the engine.
- Pump
- Moves liquids: bilge pump, ballast pump, cooling water pump.
- Cooler (heat exchanger)
- Transfers heat from one fluid to another.
- Turbocharger
- Uses exhaust gas to push more air into the engine.
- Shaft
- The rotating steel connection between engine and propeller.
- Bow thruster
- A propeller that pushes the bow sideways during manoeuvres.
- Fuel oil (HFO / MGO)
- Heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil: what the engines burn.
- Lube oil
- Lubricating oil that protects moving parts.
- Bilge
- The lowest part of a space, where dirty water collects.
- Sludge
- Oily waste from purifiers and drains, kept on board for shore disposal.
- To overhaul
- To take apart, inspect and repair a machine.
- To top up
- To fill up to the correct level.
- To drain / to vent
- To let liquid out / to let air out.
- To isolate
- To shut off a machine or system so it is safe to work on.
Cargo work
- Stowage
- Where and how cargo is placed and secured on board.
- Cargo manifest
- The document listing all cargo carried.
- Bill of lading
- The document that proves cargo was received for carriage.
- Stevedore
- A shore worker who loads and unloads cargo.
- Tally
- The count of cargo pieces loaded or discharged.
- Bulk cargo
- Unpacked cargo poured into the hold: grain, coal, ore.
- General cargo
- Packed goods: boxes, pallets, machinery.
- Dangerous goods (IMDG)
- Cargo that needs special handling under the IMDG Code.
- Trim
- The difference between the drafts at bow and stern.
- List
- The lean of a ship to one side, e.g. 'a five degree list to port'.
- Stability
- The ship's ability to return upright after heeling.
- Ballast
- Sea water taken into tanks for stability and a safe draft.
- Draft survey
- Calculating the cargo weight from the ship's drafts.
Safety & emergency
- Muster station
- The place where you assemble in an emergency.
- Muster list
- The list showing every crew member's emergency duty and station.
- General alarm
- Seven short blasts and one long: go to your muster station.
- Abandon ship
- The order to leave the vessel, given by the Master.
- Man overboard
- A person has fallen into the water: lifebuoy, alarm, keep them in sight.
- Lifeboat / liferaft
- The survival craft used when abandoning ship.
- Davit
- The device that lowers and hoists the lifeboat or rescue boat.
- Lifejacket
- The personal flotation device you don in an emergency.
- Immersion suit
- The suit that protects you from cold water.
- EPIRB
- Emergency radio beacon that alerts rescue services with your position.
- Mayday
- The distress call: grave and imminent danger to life or vessel.
- Pan-Pan
- The urgency call: serious, but no immediate danger to life.
- Securite
- The safety call: navigational or weather warnings.
- SMCP
- IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases: the standard English of the sea.
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment: helmet, gloves, safety shoes, goggles.
- Permit to work
- Written permission required before high-risk jobs.
- Hot work
- Welding, grinding, open flame: always with a permit.
- Enclosed space
- A space with possible lack of oxygen or toxic gas. Test before entry.
- Toolbox talk
- A short safety briefing before a job.
- Drill
- A practice exercise: fire drill, boat drill, 'this is a drill'.
People on board
- Master (Captain)
- The person in overall command of the ship.
- Chief Officer (Chief Mate)
- Head of the deck department, responsible for cargo and stability.
- OOW
- Officer of the watch: the officer in charge of the bridge or engine watch.
- Bosun (boatswain)
- The senior deck rating, leading the deck crew.
- AB
- Able seaman: an experienced deck rating.
- OS
- Ordinary seaman: a junior deck rating.
- Chief Engineer
- Head of the engine department.
- Oiler / motorman
- An engine rating who maintains and watches the machinery.
- Wiper
- A junior engine rating.
- Cook
- Runs the galley and feeds the crew.
- Cadet
- A trainee officer, deck or engine.
- Crew change
- The rotation when some crew sign off and their reliefs sign on.
In port
- Berth
- The place where a ship moors alongside. On board, also your bed.
- Quay (wharf)
- The structure ships moor to in port.
- Terminal
- The part of the port that handles a specific cargo type.
- Agent
- The shipowner's local representative in a port.
- Port State Control
- Inspectors who check visiting foreign ships.
- Surveyor
- A specialist who inspects the ship or the cargo.
- Customs and immigration
- The authorities that clear goods and people.
- Shore leave
- Permission to leave the ship while in port.
- To sign on / to sign off
- To join the ship's crew / to leave it at the end of a contract.
- Seaman's book
- The seafarer's service record document.
Weather & sea
- Gale
- A very strong wind, Beaufort force 8 or more.
- Swell
- Long waves that keep rolling after the wind is gone.
- Squall
- A sudden, short burst of strong wind, often with rain.
- Visibility
- How far you can see: 'restricted visibility' means slow down.
- Beaufort scale
- The 0 to 12 scale describing wind force.
- Tide
- The regular rise and fall of the sea level.
- Current
- The horizontal flow of water.
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