A Glossary Of Shipping And Maritime Terms

DUNNAGE: Wood or other material used in stowing ship cargo to prevent its movement.
FENDER PILES: The wooden or plastic pilings on the outer edge of the wharf function like the fenders on a car. They are there to absorb the shock of a ship as it docks at the wharf and to protect the structural pilings that actually support the wharf. Fender piles are also called sacrifice piles since they are designed to be discarded after they are broken.
FLEETING: The area at which barges, towboats and tugs are berthed until needed. The operation of building or dismantling barge tows.
LENGTH OVERALL (LOA): Linear measurement of a vessel from bow to stern.
Lift On-Lift Off (LO/LO): Cargo handling technique involving transfer of commodities to and from the ship using shore side cranes or ship's gear.
MARINE SURVEYOR: Person who inspects a ship hull or its cargo for damage or quality.
MASTER: The officer in charge of the ship. "Captain" is a courtesy title often given to a master.
FREIGHT FORWARDER: An individual or company that prepares the documentation and coordinates the movement and storage of export cargoes
LANDLORD PORT: At a landlord port, the port authority builds the wharves, which it then rents or leases to a terminal operator (usually a stevedoring company). The operator invests in cargo-handling equipment (forklifts, cranes, etc), hires long shore labourers to operate such lift machinery and negotiates contracts with ocean carriers (steamship services) to handle the unloading and loading of ship cargoes
GROSS TONNAGE: The sum of container, breakbulk and bulk tonnage
MEAN LOW WATER (MLW): Lowest average level water reaches on an outgoing tide.
MEAN HIGH WATER (MHW): Highest average level water reaches on an outgoing tide.
MOORING DOLPHIN: A cluster of pilings to which a boat or barge ties up.

Philippines Says nation Attained Zero Maritime Causality In 2010

Due to the Philippine government’s more proactive preparations, greater maritime safety awareness, and improved security policies and facilities, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) “virtually attained” zero maritime casualties it had aimed in the local shipping industry last year.
Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, PCG commandant, said that the notable decrease in the number of maritime incidents in 2010 is largely attributed not only to the less number of storms and other weather disturbances which had entered the Philippine archipelago but also on the Coast Guard’s maritime communications system in which they have sustained operational readiness and strategic deployment of maritime search and rescue (SAR) and disaster response assets.
“More integrated early warning and recall system for the shipping industry and local fishermen had been implemented during adverse weather conditions, and stronger partnership and cooperation among major maritime agencies and partner nations,” Tamayo said.
He added that the PCG had responded and rendered assistance to more than 750,500 persons and only listed a total of 240 casualties in some isolated incidents which occurred last year.
Tamayo also mentioned that they have saved a total of 9,577 lives in their 597 SAR missions conducted in 2010.
The PCG had also collected more than 1,930 tons of garbage along the coastlines they had maintained and inspected last year.
“Most of the maritime incidents that happened last year involved international flagged vessels particularly in Northern Luzon, and we are happy that no major incidents happened in the local shipping industry unlike in 2009,” Tamayo said

SAFETY 2
CAPTION:
IMB Digital Imaging Showing The Total Number Of Piracy Attacks Between January And September, 2010

*Courtesy: IMB