Shipping Dictionary
A MARITIME ABBREVIATIONS
aaaa always afloat always accessible
abs American Bureau of Shipping
abt about
acct or a/c account
acot Advisory Committee of Offshore Technology
addr address (commission)
agw all going well
ah antwerp-hamburg range
aht Anchor Handling Tug
aid Agency for International Development
aims American Institute of merchant Shipping
anfood animal food (type of cargo)
aphos african phosphate c/p
aps Arriving Pilot Station
ara antwerp-rotterdam- amsterdam
arag Antwerp - Rotterdam - Amsterdam - Gent
asf Asian Shipowners' Forum
aux auxiliary
awb air waybill
awes Association of Western European Shipbuilders
b Beam
b/l bill of lading
b/n booking note
b/s bill of sale
b4 Before
ba buenos aires
baf bunker adjustment factor
bbb before breaking bulk
bc Bulk Carrier
be both ends
bends both ends
bfi Baltic Freight Index
bgd bagged
bhp brake horse power
biac Business and Industry Advisory Committee
bifa British International Freight Association
biffex Baltic International Freight Futures Exchange
bimco Baltic and International Maritime Council
bisco British Iron and Steel COrporation
bl bale
blk bulk
blt Built
boc Bulk Oil Carrier
bod board of directors
bof Best Offer
br Bulgarian Register
br brazil
brg Bridge
brkrs brokers
brl barrel
bs Bahamas
bsc British Shippers Council
bsea black sea
bsi British Standards Institution
btms bottoms (parcels)
bv Bureau Veritas
c&f Cost and Freight
c.i.s. commonwealth independent states (ex soviet republics)
cabaf currency and bunker adjustment factor
caf currency adjustment factor
can canada
cancl cancelling
casa casablanca
cbm cubic metres
cbs Cyprus Bereau of Shipping
cc cargo capacity
cc Cement Carrier
ccc customs cooperation council
cf cubic feet
cfr Cost and FReight
cfs container freight station
cgo cargo
chopt charterers option
chrts charterers
cif cost insurance freight
cif Cost Insurance and Freight
cip Carriage and Insurance Paid to
cmi Committee maritime international
cmpl Completed
cob Clean On Board
cob cargo on board
cob closing of business
cod cash on delivery
cogsa carriage of goods by sea act
comb Combinable
coms commissions
Cont Container Ship
cont Continent
cop custom of the port
core7 c/p for iron ore transportation
cp charter party
cpt Carriage Paid To
cpt captain
cqd customary quick despatch
crns cranes
csc container safety convention
csh Cargo Ship
ct Chemical Tanker
ct combined transport
ctl constructive total loss
cuft cubic feet
cyl Cylinders
d Depth
d.o. Diesel Oil
da disbursement accounts
daf Delivered At Frontier
dap days all purposes
dap dia-ammonium sulphate
dd dry dock
ddp delivered duty paid
ddu Delivered Duty Unpaid
ddu Delivered DUty paid
de Deemed / Earned (freight)
dely delivery
dems Demurrage
deq Delivered Ex Quay
des Delivered Ex Ship
df or d.f. dead freight
dims dimensions
disp Displacement
doc document of compliance (ism)
dolsp dropping outward last sea pilot
dop Dropping Out Pilot
dpa designated person ashore (ism)
drft draft
drgr Dredge - r
drx hellenic drachma (currency)
dur duration
dw Dead Weight
dwcc dead weight- cargo capacity
dwt deadweight
ec east coast
ecgb east coast Great Britain
ecsa east coast south america
ecuk east coast United Kingdom
ecus east coast United States
efta european free trade association
egy Egypt
eiu even if used
epirb emergency position indicating radio beacon
er Engine Room
eta estimated time of arrival
etc expected time of commencement (or completion)
etd estimated time of departure
ets estimated time of sailing
euc (euro) european currency units
excl excluding
exw Ex Works
f.o. Fuel Oil
fac fast as can
fas free alongside ship
fas Free Alongside
fb Ferry Boat
fca Free CArrier
fcc first class charterers
fcl Full Container Load
fcr Floating Crane
fd free despatch
fd&d freight deadfreight & demurrage
fdd freight demurrage defence (p&i)
fdeocl freight deemed earned on completion loading
ferts fertilizers
feu Forty Feet Equivalent Units
fgi for guidance and information
fhex fridays holidays excluded
fhex fridays holidays excluded
fhinc fridays holidays included
filo free in liner out
fio free in out
fios free in out stowed
fiost free in out spout trimmed
fiot free in out trimming
fish Fishing Boat
flg flag
flo-flo FLoat On - FLoat Off
flt full liner terms
fmc federal maritime commission
fms fathoms
fob free on board
fob free on board
fob Free On Board
foq free on quay
for free on rail
fot free on truck
fpa free of particular average
fpt fore peak tank
fr freight
fr France
frght freight
fso fleet safety officer (ism)
ftc Free Transferable currency
fui for your information
fw fresh water
fwa fresh water allowance
fwad fresh water arrival draft
fwd fresh water draft
fwd forward
fxd fixed
fyg for your guidance
ga general average
ga Go Ahead (telex operator)
gatt General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
gc Gas Carrier
gcn gencon
gd good
geo geographical (rotation)
gib Gibraltar
gl Germanischer Lloyd
gmdss global maritime distress and safety system
gmt greenwich mean time
gr grain
Gr Greece (Hellas)
gr greece
grd geared
grls gearless
grt gross register tons
gspb Good Safe Port Berth
gtee guarantee
h.s.a. hellenic shipbrokers association
ha hatch
hd half despatch
hdwts half despatch working time saved
hf Hydrofoil
hfo heavy fuel oil
hh holds hatches
hh or hoha holds / hatches
hhs heavy handy scrap
hk hong kong
hl or h/l Heavy Lift
ho hold
hoha holds hatches
hond Honduras
hrs Hellenic Register of Shipping
hrs hours
hsa Hellenic Shipbrokers Association
hss heavy grain,soya,sorghum
hss High-speed Sea Service
i/o instead of
icc international chamber of commerce
ics international chamber of shipping
ics institute of chartered shipbrokers
ifo intermediate fuel oil
igs inert Gas System
ihp Indicated Horse Power
ilohc in lieu of holds cleaning
ilow in lieu of weight
imco intergovernmental maritime commission
imdg code international maritime dangerous goods code
imo international maritime organization
incl Including
inclad including address
inco terms international commercial terms
isf international safety federation
ism bla bla bla
iso bla bla bla
iwl institute warranties limits
jpn japan
kr Korean Register of Shipping
l Length
l.b.h. length / breadth/ height
l.m.c. Lloyd's machinery certificate
l.t. Long Tons
l/c lay can
l/c letter of credit
l/d loading / discharging
la los angeles (usa)
lash Lighter Aboard SHip
lash Lighter Aboard Ship
lat latitude
lbp Length Between Perpeticulars
lc or l/c letter of credit
ldg loading
lgc Liquefied Gas Carrier
lhar london, hull, antwerp, rotterdam range
lifo liner in free out
lo/lo Lift On / Lift Off
loa Length Over All
loi Letter Of Indemnity
long longitude
lpg Liquefied Petroleum Gas
lpgc liquefied petroleum gas carrier
lr Lloyds Register
ls Light Ship
lsc Live Stock Carrier
Lubs Lubricants
m. metres
m.e. Main Engine
m/s motor ship
m/v motor vessel
m/y Motor Yacht
mald Maldives Islands
mdc marina di carrara
mdo marine diesel oil
me or m.e main engine
med mediterranean
mga master's general account
mgo marine gas oil
mic man in charge
mid middle
min/max minimum/maximum
mip marine insurance policy
miss mississippi river
mm minimum/maximum
moa memorandum of agreement (S&P)
mol more or less
molchopt more or less at charterers' option
moloo more or less at owners' option
mop muriate of potash
mos months
mou paris memorandum of understanding (paris)
mpp multi purpose (type of ship)
mrble marble
mt metric tons
mtc moment to alter trim once centimeter
mti moment to alter trim one inch
mv or m/v motor vessel
na or n/a not applicaple - not acceptable -not available
naa not always afloat
naabsa not always afloat but safely aground
ncb national cargo bureau
ncr non conformance report (ism)
ncv no commercial value
ng Nigeria
nhp nominal horse power
nk nippon kaiji Kyokai
No Number
nola North Lakes
NOR Notice of Readiness
norgrain voyage c/p for carriage of grains (usa-can)
nr or n.r. northern range (from norfolk to portland in usec)
nrt net register tons
nsf Norwegian Sales Fort
ny new york
nype new york produce exchange charter party
nype New York Produce Exchange (charter party)
oa over aged
obc Ore Bulk Carrier
obct Ore Bulk Container
obo Oil Bulk Ore
oc Ore Carrier
od outside diameter
onw onwards
ooc Ore Oil Carrier
opt option
osd Open Shelter Decker
osd open shelter decker
ows owners
p&c Private & Confidential
p&i protection and indemnity (club)
p.p.i. policy proof of interest
p/f proforma
p/l partial loss
p/n promissory note
pa particular average
pan Panama
pandi p&i
pass Passenger Ship
pb permanent bunkers
pc Product Carrier
pcc Pure Car Carrier
pd Per Day
pd port dues
ph per hatch
phil Philippines
phos phosphate
pls please
plts palletes
pmo passing muscat outbound
pmt Per Metric Ton
pod paid on delivery
pod port of delivery
posn position
ppse propose
ppt prompt
pr Polski Rejestr Statkow
prt port
psa Passenger Ship Association
psc port state control
pt Product Tanker
pton Per Ton
pts spanish pesetas (currency)
pus past us (commissions)
pus past us (coms)
pv Peru
pwh per workable hatch
qar quality assurance representative (ism)
qt Qatar
qte quote
r Are
r/v round voyage
rd running days
rdc running down clause
rdly redelivery
rdr radar
redely redelivery
ref Refrigerator Ship
reg regarding
rep representative
req require
rge range
ri (rina) Registro Italiano
rnd round (voyage)
rnge range
RoRo Roll on Roll off
rqrd required
rt Radio Telephone
rt radio telephone
ryt re your telex / telegram / telephone
s&p brkr sale and purchase broker
s.s. Special Survey
s/n shipping note
s/p Submersible Pontoon
s/r Signing / Releasing (bills of lading)
s/s Steamship
saoclonl Ship And Or Cargo Lost Or Not Lost
SatCom Satellite Communication
SatNav Satellite Navigation
satshex saturdays sundays holidays excluded
sb safe berth
sbm soya bean meal
se south east
shex Sundays Holidays Excluded
shinc sundays holidays included
sid single decker
smc safety management certificate (ism)
smm safety management manual (ism)
smp soya bean meal pallets
sms safety management system (ism)
Sob shipped on board
soc Shipper owned container
Sof Statement of Facts
solas Safety Of Life At Sea
sop sulphate of potash
sopep shipboard oil pollution emergency plan
sp safe port
sp Spain
spn spain
spore Singapore
spt spot
sr Soviet Register
src Slops Receiving Station
sshex Saturdays Sundays Holidays Excluded
ssv Support Supply Vessel
ssw sawn soft wood
st Side Tank
stbd Starboard
stc Said To Contain
stcw code SEAFARERS' training certification and watch-keeping
stcw convention international convention on standards of training certification and watch-keeping for seafarers
stds standards
stem subject to existence of merchandise
stg Salvage Tug
stl steel
sub subject to
swd salt water draft
swl Safe Working Load
syna synacomex
t/l total loss
tc time charter
tct time charter trip
teu Twenty Feet Equivalent Units
tg Tug
tnge tonnage
tns tons
tpc tons per centimetre
tpi tons per inch
tr Trawler
ts tons
tsh Tanker Ship
tsp triple super phosphate
tss tailshaft survey
ttl total
tw tween decker
tween tweendecker
u You
uce unforseen circumstances excepted
uk united kingdom
uk/cont united kingdom / continent range
ulcc Ultra Large Crude Carrier
unqt unquote
up river upper ports of river parana (argentina)
usa United States of America
usd united states dollars
usec united states east coast
usg United States Gulf
usnh united states, north of cape hateras
uswc united states west coast
uu Unless Used
Vaoclonl Vessel And Or Cargo Lost Or Not Lost
vlcc Very Large Crude Carrier
vol. volume
wb Water Ballast
wc west coast
wci West Coast India
wci west coast italy
wcsa west coast south america
weccon whether entered customs clearance or not
wechon whether entered customs house or not
wibon weather in berth or not
wiccon weather in cargo clearance or not
wifpon weather in free pratique or not
wipon weather in port or not
wlthc Water Line to Top of Hatch Coming
wog Without Guarantee
wp Weather Permitting
wr War Risks
wr without responsibility
ww world wide
wwd Winches Working Day
wwd Weather Working Days
wwr when where ready
wwww wipon / wifpon / wiccon / wibon
yu Yugoslavia
z.t. Zone Time