SHIPTALK: A GLOSSARY OF SHIPPING AND MARITIME TERMS

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.

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.