The action of a whale when it comes to the surface and expels the seawater it has taken in while feeding. The traditional hail of the lookout in a whaling ship when sighting this spouting water is "There she blows".

To ease away slowly, as in a line, sheet, or falls of a tackle.

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

A materials handling/storage facility used for completely unitized loads in containers and/or empty containers. Commonly referred to as CY.

Seller is responsible for goods and preparation of export documentation until actually placed aboard the vessel.

A combination of one or more blocks and the associated tackle necessary to give a mechanical advantage. Useful for lifting heavy loads.

A nautical astronomical observation of the sun, moon, or a star, by which means a vessel's position can be determined. The sight was taken with a sextant at a specific time, determined by a chronometer.

A document, certified by a consular official, is required by some countries to describe a shipment. Used by Customs of the foreign country, to verify the value, quantity and nature of the cargo.

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.

The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit weight of a substance by one degree.

A compartment forward where the chain cable is stowed.

A person or firm performing a consolidation service for others. The consolidator takes advantage of lower full carload (FCL) rates, and savings are passed on to shippers.

A device that indicates pressure differential above or below atmospheric pressure.

A non-profit entity that represents the interests of a number of shippers. The main focus of shippers associations is to pool the cargo volumes of members to leverage the most favorable service contract rate levels.

Any rope or line.

In sailboat racing, to have a controlling position over competitors by staying between them and the next mark or buoy - a tactical maneuver in which the lead boat stays between the trailing boat and the wind or the next mark.

Sailing with the wind coming from the stern or quarter of the boat.

A bollard with horizontal arms, forming the shape of a cross, as a means of belaying lines.

A measure of air compressor efficiency, usually in the form of bhp/100 acfm or acfm/bhp

A written contract between the owner of a vessel and the person desiring to employ the vessel (charterer); sets forth the terms of the arrangement such as duration of agreement, freight rate and ports involved in the trip.