Maritime Glossary
Source-cited definitions for shipping, engineering, navigation, and regulatory terminology. Confidence-scored and verified against primary IMO, IHO, and industry sources.
- Laytimelay time · lay days
- Laytime is the period of time a charter party allows the charterer to load and discharge the cargo without extra payment. If loading or discharging exceeds it the charterer pays demurrage; if it is beaten, the owner may pay despatch.
- commercialcharteringhigh confidence
- Length OverallLOA
- LOA means length overall, the maximum length of a ship measured from the foremost point of the bow to the aftermost point of the stern. It is the length that matters for fitting into berths, locks, dry docks and canal locks.
- vessel-measurementshigh confidence
- Liquefied Natural GasLNG
- LNG is liquefied natural gas — natural gas, mostly methane, cooled to about minus 162 degrees Celsius so that it becomes a liquid occupying roughly one six-hundredth of its gaseous volume. This makes it economic to ship by sea in specialised carriers.
- fuelcargodecarbonizationengineeringhigh confidence
- Load LinePlimsoll line · Plimsoll mark · International Load Line
- The load line, or Plimsoll mark, is a marking on a ship's side showing the maximum depth to which it may legally be loaded. Because the safe limit varies with water density and season, several lines are marked for different zones and conditions.
- safetyregulationvessel-measurementshigh confidence