A legally binding agreement between two or more persons/organizations to carry out reciprocal obligations or value.

Blocks of wood made to fit in the hawse-holes, or holes in the half-ports, when at sea. Those in the hawse-holes are sometimes called hawse-blocks.

A soft, black, mayonnaise-like deposit which is typically an emulsion of oil, water, and oil insolubles.

In sailboat racing, to take to opposite tack of the rest of the fleet when behind, hoping that the wind will shift to your benefit.

A bend or hitch used to attach a line to a ring or spar so that by pulling the end of the line, the hitch will come free. This is done by passing a bight of the line under the other part so that when strain is applied the bight is jammed. A pull on the en ...

Port of initial Customs entry of a vessel to any country. Also known as First Port of Call.

A power or sailing boat used by pi-lots (men who have local knowledge of navigation hazards of ports).

A built in mechanical device to recover a portion of the power consumed by a constant speed centrifugal compressor when operating at reduced capacity or reduced pressure rise, or both.

A ball shaped buoy marking a navigational hazard.

elegant, luxurious. Originally an acronym for Port Over Starboard Home. Created by British travelers to India or Australia, describing the preferred accommodations aboard ship, which lessened effects of the tropical sun on the cabins during the voyage.

The imaginary line running from bow to stern along the middle of the boat.

A common measurement of the internal volume of a ship with certain spaces excluded. One ton equals 100 cubic feet; the total of all the enclosed spaces within a ship expressed in tons each of which is equivalent to 100 cubic feet.

Light-weight foresail similar to a spinnaker but set without a pole.

The place at which a shipment is received by a carrier from the shipper.

see Turnbuckle

A machine used to pick up and move goods loaded on pallets or skids.

First voyage of a ship.

Heavy canvas used as a covering.

A document specifying the nation of registry of the vessel.

A symbol placed on packages for identification purposes; generally a triangle,square, circle, etc. with letters and/or numbers and port of discharge.