BAF:   Bunker Adjustment Factor

BALLAST: Heavy weight, often sea water, necessary for the stability and safety of a ship which is not carrying cargo.

BAREBOAT CHTR:  Bareboat charter

BBB: Before Breaking Bulk

BDI: Both Dates Inclusive

BENDS: Both Ends  (Load & Discharge Ports)

BIMCO: The Baltic and International Maritime Council

BL: Bill of Lading – Document signed by the carrier which acts as a receipt and evidence of title of the cargo

BM: Beam

BEAM: The maximum width of a ship

BOFFER: Best Offer

BROB: Bunkers Remaining On Board

BSS: Basis

BSS: Basis 1 Port to 1 Port

BT: Berth Terms

BUNKERS: Vessels Fuel and Diesel Oil supplies

BWAD: Brackish Water Arrival Draft

CAF: Currency Adjustment Factor

CBM: Cubic Meter

CBT: (or CFT) Cubic Feet

CFR: Cost and Freight (named destination port)

CHOPT: Charterers Option

CHTRS: Charterers

CIF: Cost, Insurance and Freight (named destination port)

CIP: Carriage and Insurance Paid to (named destination place)

COA: Contract of Affeightment – Owners agree to accept a cost per revenu ton for cargo carried on a specificnumber of voyages

COACP: Contract of Affeightment Charter Party

COB: Close Of Business

COD: Cash On Delivery

COD: Change Of Destination

COGSA: Carriage Of Goods by Sea Act

CONS:            Consumption

COP: Custom of Port

CP (or C/P): Charter Party

CPAT: Customs – Trade Partner Ship

CPD: Charterers Pay Dues

CPT: Carriage Paid To (named destination place)

CSF: Carriage Securing File fee

CQD: Customary Quick Despath

CROB: Cargo Remaining On Board

CRN: Crane

CST: Centistoke

CTPAT: Customs – Trade Partnership Against Terrorism

CTR: Container

DAP: Delivered At Place

DAPS: Days All Purposes (Total days for loading & discharging)

DAT: Delivered At Terminal

DDP: Delivered Duty Paid

DEM: Demurrage

DESP: Despatch

DET: Detention

DG: Dangerous Goods

DGD: Dangerous Goods Declaration

DHDATSBE: Despatch Half Demurrage on Actual Time Saved Both Ends

DHDWTSBE: Despatch Half Demurrage on Working Time Saved Both Ends

DISCH: Discharge

DK: Deck

DO: Diesel Oil

DO: Delivery Order

DOP: Dropping Outward Pilot

DNRSAOCLONL: Discountless and Non-Returnable Ship and/or Cargo Lost Or Not Lost

DRAFT: Depth to which a ship is emmersed in water.  The depth varies according to the design of the ship and will be greater or lesser depending not only on the weight of the ship and everything on board, but also the sensity of the water in which the ship is lying

DUNNAGE: Materials of various types, often timber or matting, places among the cargo for separation, and hence protection from damage, for ventilation and, in the case of certain cargoes, to provide space in which the forks of a forklift may be inserted.

DWAT (or DWT): Deadweight, Weight of cargo, stores and water, difference between lightship and loaded displacement

EBS: Emergency Bunker Surcharge

EC: East Coast

EIU: Even If Used

ELVENT: Electric Ventilation

ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival

ETC: Estimated Time of Completion

ETD: Estimated Time of Departure

ETS: Estimated Time of Sailing

EXW:  Ex Works (named place)

FAS: Free Alongside Ship (named loading port)

FCA: Free Carrier (named place)

FD: Free Of Despatch

FDD: Freight Demurrage Deadfreight

FDIS: Free discharge

FEU: Forty foot Equivalent Unit

FHEX: Fridays Holidays Exlcuded

FHINC: Fridays Holidays Included

FIFO: First In First Out

FIFO: Free In / Free Out

FILO: Free In / Liner Out

FIOS: Free In / Out  Stowed

FIOT: Free In Out and Trimmed

FIOSLSD: Free In Out Stowed, Lashed, Secured and Dunnaged.  As per FIO, but includes cost of lashing securing and dunnaging cargo to Masters satisfaction

FIOST: Free In Out and Trimmed.  Charterer pays for cost of loading/discharging cargo, including stowage and trimming

FIT:  Free In Trimmed.

FIW: Free in Wagon

FIXING: Chartering a vessel

FLT: Full Liner Terms : LILO (Liner In Liner Out )

FMC: Federal Maritime Commission – US Government Agency

FMS: Fathoms – 6 feet

FOB: Free On Board (named loading port)

FOG: For Our Guidance

FOP: Free On Plane

FOQ: Free On Quay

FOR: Free On Rail

FORCE MAJEURE: Clause limiting responsibilities of the charterers, shippers and receivers due to events beyond their control

FOT: Free On Truck

FOW: Free on Wharf

FP: Flash Point

FREE OUT: Free of discharge costs to Owners

FWAD : Fresh Water Arrival Draft

FWDD :  Fresh Water Departure Draft

FYG: For Your Guidance

FYI: For Your Information

GA: General Average

GLS: Gearless

GNCN : Gencon – a standard BIMCO charter party form

GN (or GR): Grain (capacity)

GO : Gas Oil

GRD: Geared

GRT: Gross Registered Tonnage

GSB: Good Safe Berth

GSP: Good Safe Port

GTEE: Guarantee

2H: Second Half

HA: Hatch

HDWTS: Half Despatch Working Time Saved

HMS: Heavy Metal Scrap

HO: Hold

HW: High Water

IG: In Gauge

IMDG: International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code

IMO: International Maritime Organisation

IND: Indication

ISF: Importer Security File

ISPS: International Ship and Port facility Security Code

ITF: International Transport Federation – International organisation that regulates crewing of ships

IU: If Used

IUATUTC: If Used, Actual Time Used To Count

IUHATUTC: If Used, Half Actual Time Used To Count

IWL: Institute Warranty Limits

JIT: Just In Time

LANE METER: Method of measuring the space capacity of ro/ro ships wherby each unit of space (Linear Meter) is represented width

LASH (1): Lighter Aboard Ship

LASH (2): To secure goods by use of straps, wires, ropes, chains

LAT: Latitude

LIFO: Liner In Free Out

LILO: Liner In Liner Out

LOA: Length Over All

LOW: Last Open Water

LUMPS (or LS): Lumpsum

LSD: Lashed Secured Dunnage

LSF: Low Sulphur Fuel

LSS: Low Sulphur Surcharge

LT: Liner Terms

LV: Laat Volgen

LW: Low Water

LYCN: Laycan (Laday Cancelling Date)

MB: Merchant Broker

MDO (DO): Marine Diesel Oil

MIN/MAX: Minimum / Maximum (cargo quantity)

MOLCHOPT: More Or Less Charterers Option

MOLOO: More Or Less Owners Option

MT: Metric Tonne

M/V: Motor Vessel

NAABSA: Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground

NCB: National Cargo Bureau

NESTING: Implies that cargo is presented stacked in the countour of similarly shaped cargo, it may be likened to a stack of plates

NON-REVESIBLE: the saved days will not be added to discharge time

NOR: Notice of Readiness

NRT: Net Registered Tonnage

OO: Owners Option

OOG: Out Of Gauge

OSH: Open Shelter Deck

OWS: Owners

PASTUS: Past Us

PC: Period of Charter

PCGO: Part Cargo

PCT: Percent

PDPR: Per Day Pro Rata

PERDIEM: Per Diem – By the Day

PHPD: Per Hatch Per Day

POA: Power of Attorney

PRATIQUE: License or permission to use a port

RCVR: Receivers

REVERSIBLE (Detention): If loading completed sooner than expected at load port, then days saved can be added to discharge operations

ROB: Remaining On Board

SATPM: Saturday P.M.

SB: Safe Berth

SEP: Special Equipment Premium

SID (SD): Single Decker

SELFD: Self Discharging

SF: Stowage Factor. Cubic space occupied by one ton (1000 kg) of cargo

SF: Seafreight

SHINC: Sundays/Holidays Included

SHEX:            Sundays/Holidays EXcluded

SKIDS : Are bearers (timber of steel) positioned under cargo to enable forklift handling at port, and for ease of rigging and lashing on board ship

SL: Bale (capatcity)

SOC: Shippers Owed Container

SOF: Statement Of Facts

SOLAS: Safety of Live At Sea

SP: Safe Port

SRBL: Signing and Releasing Bill of Lading

SSHEX: Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Excluded

SSHINC: Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays Included

STARBOARD: right side of a ship facing the bow

STEM: Subject To Enough Merchandise (Availability of Cargo)

STERN: The aft part of a ship

SUB: Subject (to)

SUPERCARGO:  Person employed by a ship owner, shipping company, charterer of a ship or shipper of goods to supervise cargo handling operations often called a port captain

SWAD : Salt Water Arrival Draft

SWDD: Salt Water Departure Draft

TC: Time Charter – Owners agree to hire a particular ship for a set length of time

TEU: Twenty foot Equivalent Unit

THC: Terminal Handling Charges

THCD: Terminal Handling Charges Destination

TTL: Total

TW: Tween Decker

USC: Unless Sooner Commenced

UU: Unless Used

UUIUATUTC: Unless Used If Used Actual Time Used To Count

VPD: Vessel Pays Dues

WCCON: Whether Customs Cleared Or Not

WIBON: Whether In Berth Or Not

WIFPON: Whether In Free Pratique Or Not

WIPON: Whether In Port Or Not

WLTOHC: Water Line-To-Hatch Coaming

WOG: Without Guarantee

WPD: Weather Permitting Day

WWD: Weather Working Day

WRIC: Wire Rods In Coils

WWR: When Where Ready