The practice of obtaining a crew by means of force. Crews were hard to get for long voyages, and when the unwilling shipmate regained consciousness, he found himself bound for some remote port, such as Shanghai. One who is forced to do something against h ...

An extra charge sometimes added to steamship freight rates; justified by higher fuel costs. (Also known as Fuel Adjustment Factor or FAF.)

1.06 liquid U.S. quarts or 33.9 fluid ounces.

Here are a few old superstitions of seamen: (1) When a ship was launched or about to sail on a long voyage, a libation was offered to the gods of the sea by pouring wine upon the deck so that good fortune would accompany the ship. (2) Flowers carried on b ...

A filtering unit for vented enclosures installed to prevent dirt and foreign matter from entering the enclosure.

Navigation rules governing waters inside designated demarcation zones

An order issued by a seller against a purchaser; directs payment, usually through an intermediary bank. Typical bank drafts are negotiable instruments and are similar in many ways to checks on checking accounts in a bank.

Sailor's songs sung in the forecastle when the men of a watch were off duty. These were sung for entertainment, thus they were not shanties.

A non-commissioned naval rank. Midshipmen play a part, under supervision, in most of the ship's activities, and are in training for higher command.

(1) To tip the boat over so that the boat is upside down with the mast pointing down to the sea bottom. (2) A bag in which a spinnaker or other large sail can be stowed with the lines attached so that it can be rapidly raised.

Condition that exists when the air, gas, or fluid normally passing through an element is being shunted around the element.

A switching railroad operating within a commercial area.

(1) A large casting shaped to allow the propeller blades to revolve. The rudder is fitted on the after post. (2) The principal vertical timber in a ship's stern, upon which the rudder is fastened.

A buoy on the race course around which boats must turn.

A process employed in the shipment of citrus fruits and other perishable commodities. The fruit is packed and placed in a cold room from which the heat is gradually extracted. The boxes of fruit are packed in containers that have been thoroughly cooled an ...

Maritime area usually specified by range of ports in which a vessel may operate

Notations made when the cargo is received at the carrier's terminal or loaded aboard a vessel. They show any irregularities in packaging or actual or suspected damage to the cargo. Exceptions are then noted on the bill of lading.

The tall, narrow, waterproof box that houses a vessel's centerboard and allows it to be retracted into the ship's hull.

Abbreviation for Export-Import Bank of the United States. An independent U.S. Government Agency which facilitates exports of U.S. goods by providing loan guarantees and insurance for repayment of bank-provided export credit.

Mobile truck equipment with the capacity for lifting a container within its own framework.