Maritime Acronyms
The list below is not exhaustive but the Acronyms will be updated from time to time since new ones will be added. The best way to find the acronym you are searching for is by pressing ctr+f in your web browser to pop up the search bar and type the acronym you are searching.
| 2H | Second Half |
| A/S | Alongside |
| AA | Always Afloat |
| AAAA | Always Accessible Always Afloat |
| AARA | Amsterdam-Antwerp-Rotterdam Area |
| ABT | About |
| ADCOM | Address Commission |
| AFFF | Aqueous Film Forming Foam |
| AFFREIGHTMENT | The hiring of a ship in whole or part |
| AFSPS | Arrival First Sea Pilot Station (Norway) |
| AFT | At or towards the stern or rear of a ship |
| AGW | All Going Well |
| AHL | Australian Hold Ladders |
| AIO | Admiralty Information Overlay |
| ALARP | As Low As Reasonable Practicable |
| AMSA | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
| AMVER | Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System |
| ANTHAM | Antwerp-Hamburg Range |
| APHIS | Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service |
| API | American Petroeum Institute |
| APPS | Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships |
| APS | Arrival Pilot Station |
| APTF | Asia Pacific Terminal Forum |
| ARAG | Amsterdam-Rotterdam–Antwerp-Ghent Range |
| ARPA | Automatic Radar Plotting Aid |
| ASI | Annual Safety Inspection |
| ATDNSHINC | Any Time Day or Night Sundays and Holidays Included |
| ATUTC | Actual Times Used to Count |
| BAF | Bunker Adjustment Factor. A Fuel Surcharge expressed as a percentage added or subtracted from the freight amount reflecting the movement in the market place price for bunkers. |
| BALLAST | Heavy weight, often sea water, necessary for the stability and safety of a ship which is not carrying cargo. |
| BAREBOAT CHTR | Bareboat Charter Owners lease a specific ship and control its technical management and commercial operations only. |
| BBB | Before Breaking Bulk |
| BDI | Both Dates Inclusive |
| BDN | Bunker Delivery Note |
| BEAM | The maximum breadth of a ship |
| BEI | Biological Exposure Indices |
| BENDS | Both Ends (Load & Discharge Ports) |
| BEP | Best Environmental Practice |
| BI | Both Inclusive |
| BIMCO | Baltic & International Maritime Council |
| BL (1) | Bale |
| BL (2) | (Bill of Lading) A document signed by the carrier which acts as a receipt and evidence of title to the cargo. |
| BLG | Bulk Liquids and Gases |
| BM | Beam |
| BMP | Best Management Practices |
| BNWAS | Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System |
| BOB | Bunker on Board |
| BOEMRE | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement |
| BOFFER | Best Offer |
| BPG | Bridge Procedures Guide |
| BPQ | Barge Particulars Questionnaire |
| BROB | Bunkers Remaining on Board |
| BSG | Barge Safety Guide |
| BSS | Basis |
| BSS 1/1 | Basis 1 Port to 1 Port |
| BT | Berth Terms |
| BUNDLING | This is the assembly of pieces of cargo, secured into one manageable unit. This is a very flexible description; a rule of thumb is to present cargo at a size easily handled by a large (20 ton) fork lift truck. |
| BUNKERS | Name given for vessels Fuel and Diesel Oil supplies (Originates from coal bunkers) |
| BWAD | Brackish Water Arrival Draft |
| CAA | Clean Air Act |
| CALM | Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring |
| CAM | Court Appointed Monitor |
| CARB | California Air Resources Board |
| CAS | Condition Assessment Scheme |
| CBA | Collective Bargaining Agreement |
| CBFT (or CFT) | Cubic Feet |
| CBM | Cubic Meter |
| CBP | Customs Border Protection |
| CCM | Corporate Compliance Manager |
| CCNR | Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine |
| CCTV | Close Circuit Television |
| CFG | China Focus Group |
| CFO | Chief Financial Officer |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CFR (or C&F) | Cost and Freight |
| CHOPT | Charterers Option |
| CHTRS | Charterers |
| CIC | Concentrated Inspection Campaign |
| CIF | Cost, Insurance & Freight. Seller pays all these costs to a nominated port or place of discharge. |
| CMG | Course Made Good |
| CMID | Common Marine Inspection Document |
| COA | Contract of Affreightment Owners agree to accept a cost per revenue ton for cargo carried on a specific number of voyages. |
| COACP | Contract of Affreightment Charter Party |
| COB | Close of Business |
| COD | Cash On Delivery |
| COG | Course Over Ground |
| COGSA | Carriage of Goods by Sea Act |
| COMSAR | Sub-Committee on Radiocommunciations and Search and Rescue |
| CONCAWE | The Oil Companies’ European Organisation for Environment, Health and Safety |
| CONS | Consumption |
| COP | Custom Of Port |
| COTP | Captain of the Port |
| CP (or C/P) | Charter Party |
| CPA | Closest Point of Approach |
| CPD | Charterers Pay Dues |
| CPR | Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation |
| CPT | Carriage Paid To |
| CQD | Customary Quick Dispatch |
| CRN | Crane |
| CROB | Cargo Remaining on Board |
| CSC | Convention for Safe Containers |
| CSM | Cargo Securing Manual |
| CSR | Continuous Synopsis Record |
| CSSC | Code of Safe Practice for Stowage & Securing Cargo |
| CST | Centistoke |
| CTF | Carbon Task Force |
| CTR | Container Fitted |
| CTU | Cargo Transport Unit |
| CWA | Clean Water Act |
| D&A | Drug & Alcohol |
| DAPS | Days all Purposes (Total days for loading & discharging) |
| DDC | Deck Decompression Chamber |
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid. |
| DDU | Delivered Duty unpaid. |
| DE | Design and Equipment |
| DEM | Demurrage |
| DESP | Dispatch |
| DET | Detention |
| DHDATSBE | Dispatch Half Demurrage on Actual Time Saved Both Ends |
| DHDWTSBE | Dispatch Half Demurrage on Working Time Saved Both Ends |
| DISCH | Discharge |
| DK | Deck |
| DLOSP | Dropping Last Outwards Sea Pilot (Norway) |
| DMLC | Decleration of Maritime Labour Convention |
| DNRSAOCLONL | Discountless and Non-Returnable Ship and/or Cargo Lost or Not Lost |
| DO | Diesel Oil |
| DOB | Date of Birth |
| DOLSP | Dropping Off Last Sea Pilot (Norway) |
| DOP | Dropping Outward Pilot |
| DOT | Department of Transport |
| DR | Dead Reckoning |
| DRAFT | Depth to which a ship is immersed 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 on the density of the water in which the ship is lying. |
| DRK | Derrick |
| DSC | Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers |
| DUNNAGE | Materials of various types, often timber or matting, placed 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 lift truck may be inserted. |
| DWAT (or DWT) | Deadweight. Weight of cargo, stores and water, i.e. the difference between lightship and loaded displacement. |
| EBL | Electronic Range Line |
| EC | East Coast |
| ECDIS | Electronic Chart Display & Information System |
| ECSA | European Community Shipowners Association |
| EEDI | Energy Efficient Design Index |
| EETF | Eastern European Terminal Forum |
| EEZ | Exclusive Economic Zone |
| EHQ | Emergency Head Quarters |
| EIU | Even if Used |
| ELVENT | Electric Ventilation |
| EMR | Effective Mooring Revision |
| EMS | Environmental Management System |
| EMSA | European Maritime Safety Authority |
| ENC | Electronic Navigational Chart |
| ENOA | Electronic Notice of Arrival |
| EOS | Engine Operating Station |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| EPA | Estimated Position |
| EPIRB | Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons |
| ESPH | Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| ETC | Estimated Time of Completion |
| ETD | Estimated Time of Departure |
| ETOPS | Emergency Towing-off Pennant System |
| ETS | Environmental Tags System |
| ETS | Estimated Time of Sailing |
| EVTMS | Enhanced Vessel Traffic Management System |
| EXCOM | Executive Committee |
| EXW | Ex Works |
| FAL | Facilitation Committee |
| FAS | Free Alongside Ship. Seller delivers goods to appropriate dock or terminal at port of embarkation and buyer covers costs and risks of loading. |
| FD | Free of Dispatch |
| FDD | Freight Demurrage Deadfreight |
| FDIS | Free Discharge |
| FEU | Forty foot container equivalency unit Standard 40′ Container |