True Colors
The current meaning, ‘to reveal yourself as you really are’, actually came about because of the opposite phrase “false colors” – from the 17th century referring to a vessel which sailed under a flag not her own. This tactic was used by almost everyone as a ruse de guerre, but the rules of gentlemanly behavior (and possibly actual legal rules) required one to raise one’s true colors before opening fire on another ship.
True Draft
Ship Stability: Where the waterline intersects the forward and after perpendiculars.
Trust Receipt
Release of merchandise by a bank to a buyer while the bank retains title to the merchandise. The goods are usually obtained for manufacturing or sales purposes. The buyer is obligated to maintain the goods (or the proceeds from their sales) distinct from the remainder of the assets and to hold them ready for repossession by the bank.
Try a Different Tack
The direction in which a ship moves as determined by the position of its sails and regarded in terms of the direction of the wind (starboard tack). If one tack didn’t bring the ship up properly, one could always attempt another.
TSG (C)(G)
Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) and (Gas) (ICS)
TSP
Triple super phosphate
TT
Turn Time or Telegraphic Transfer or That or TankTop
Tug
A powerful small boat designed to pull, push or manuever vessels.
Tug, Naval Auxiliary
A tug for naval support
Tugboat / Ocean Towing
Tugboats are used to pull ortow barges on the ocean or on wider inland rivers that have rough waters. Ocean towing involves long towlines between the tugboat and tow, to provide the necessary slack to accommodate rough water and varied weather conditions. Oceangoing tugs are very large and very powerful.
Turn a Blind Eye
From Admiral Lord Nelson’s awesome display of badassery at the Battle of Copenhagen. When the signal was given to stop fighting, Nelson held his spyglass to his blind eye and insisted he didn’t see the signal. He then proceeded to kick butt, of course.
Turnaround
In water transportation, the time it takes between the arrival of a vessel and its departure.
Turning Basin
An area that provides for the turning of a ship (bow to stern). Turning basins are usually located at or near the upper end of the interior channel and possibly at one or more intermediate points along long channels (EM 1110-2-1613).
Turret
An attachment for a Floating Storage and Offtake vessel or Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel that allows vessel to rotate around its mooring according to direction of wind and current.
TVE
Tank Vessel Examination (USCG)
TVP
True Vapor Pressure. The absolute pressure exerted by the gas produced by evaporation from a liquid, when the gas and liquid are in equilibrium at the prevailing temperature.
TW
Tween Deck (OCIMF acronym)
TWA
Time Weighted Average. Time-weighted average concentration for an 8-hour workday and a 40-hour-work week in which a worker may be repeatedly exposed without adverse health effects
TWHD
Tons per working or Workable hatch per day
Twist Locks
A set of four twistable bayonet type shear keys used as part of a spreader to pick up a container or as part of a chassis to secure the containers.
Two–Way Pallet
A pallet so designed that the forks of a fork lift truck can be inserted from two sides only.
TX
Telex or Transmitter (Radio)
Typicals
specifications considered representative of a crude or product stream. Parcels, particularly of feedstocks, often trade on typicals even though such data carries no absolute commitments or legal obligations.
U-bend specimen
Horseshoe-shaped test piece used to detect the susceptibility of a material to stress corrosion cracking
U.K.f.o.
United Kingdom for orders
U.K.H.A.D.
United Kingdom and Le Havre-Antwerp-Dunkirk range
U.K.H.H.
United Kingdom and Le Havre-Hamburg range
U/on deck
Under or on deck
UBA
Umweltbundesambt (German Federal Environment Bureau)
UCP
Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits: Published by the In- ternational Chamber of Commerce. This is the most frequently used standard for making payments in international trade; e.g., paying on a Letter of Credit. It is most frequently referred to by its shorthand title: UCP No. 500. This revised publication reflects recent changes in the transportation and banking industries, such as electronic transfer of funds.
UER
Undesired Event Report
UFC
Uniform Freight Classification
UHF
Ultra High Frequency Band Radio
UK/CONT
United Kingdom / continent range
UK/Cont (B.H.)
United Kingdom or Continent (Bordeaux-Hamburg range)
UK/Cont (G.H.)
United Kingdom or Continent (Gibraltar-Hamburg range)
UK/Cont (H.H.)
United Kingdom or Continent (Le Havre-Hamburg range)
UKC
Under Keel Clearance or United Kingdom / Continent
UKCS
United Kingdom Continental Shelf
ULBC
Ultra Large Bulk Carrier
ULCC
Ultra large crude carrier. The largest tankers. AFRA defines them as 320,000 DWT and larger. Most folks use the term a little less precisely. They might use it for ships as small as 300,000 or even 280,000 tons.
Ullage
The difference between the total volume of a tank and the volume of the material it is presently holding.
Ultraviolet Radiation
The visible light is only a small fraction of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves. Waves with wavelength shorter than the visible violet are generally called ""ultraviolet radiation"". Ultraviolet radiation is the electromagnetic wave in the range between the visible spectrum and x-rays. Both ultraviolet and infrared spectra are useful in the study of oils and fats.
UMS
Unmanned Machinery Space
UMS
Unleaded Motor Spirits
UN
Shaft Tunnel (OCIMF acronym)
UN Number (United National Serial Number)
These are assigned to cargoes by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.
UN/EDIFACT
United Nations EDI for Administration, Commerce and Transport. EDI Standards are developed and supported by the UN for electronic message (data) interchange on an international level.
UNCITRAL
United Nations’ Commission on International Trade Law
Unclaimed Freight
Freight that has not been called for or picked up by the consignee or owner.
UNCTAD
United Nations’ Commission on Trade and Development
Under the Weather
If a crewman is standing watch on the weather side of the bow, he will be subject to the constant beating of the sea and the ocean spray. He will be under the weather.
Undercharge
To charge less than the proper amount.
Underkeel Clearance
the distance between the bottom of the ship and the sea or channel floor directly under the vessel
Underwater System
An underwater system
Underway
A vessel is underway when it is not at anchor, made fast to the shore, or aground.
UNFCCC
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Unicool
Barwil Unitor’s maritime refrigerants
Uniform corrosion
Corrosion proceeding at almost the same rate over the whole surface of the metal exposed to the corrosive environment
Uniform Customs and Practices for Documentary Credits (UCP)
Rules for letters of credit drawn up by the Commission on Banking Technique and Practices of the International Chamber of Commerce in consultation with the banking associations of many coun- tries. See Terms of Payment.
Unit
A major piece of refining equipment. Any collection of machinery worthy of this title includes the complete set of hardware necessary to perform a process step. A crude distillation unit, for instance, incorporates a furnace, a fractionation tower, and all the pipes, pumps, and heat exchangers required to separate crude into cuts.
Unit Load
Packages loaded on a pallet, in a crate or any other way that enables them to be handled at one time as a unit.
Unit Train
A train of a specified number of railcars, perhaps 100, which remain as a unit for a designated destination or until a change in routing is made.
Unitization
– The consolidation of a quantity of individual items into one large shipping unit for easier handling.
– Loading one or more large items of cargo onto a single piece of equipment, such as a pallet.
Unless Sooner Commenced
UNLESS SOONER COMMENCED shall mean that if turn-time has not expired but loading or discharging is carried out, Laytime shall commence.
Unless sooner commenced, in which case actual time used to count
UNLESS SOONER COMMENCED, IN WHICH CASE ACTUAL TIME USED TO COUNT shall mean that actual time used during turn-time shall count as Laytime.
Unless Used
UNLESS USED shall mean that if Laytime has commenced but loading or discharging is carried out during excepted periods, actual time used shall count as Laytime.
Unloading
Removal of a shipment from a vessel.
Unsaponifiable Matter
The term refers to material present in oils and fats which, after saponification of the oil or fat by alkali, is extractable by solvent and remains nonvolatile on drying. Unsaponifiable matter generally constitutes less than 1% in most oils and fats. It consists of hydrocarbons, higher alcohols, sterols and tocopherols.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Fatty acids containing one or more double bonds. Oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids are the most common naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids in animal and vegetable fats and oils.
Unsaturated Gases
Light ends produced by refinery cracking units, particularly catalytic crackers and cokers. “Unsaturated” indicates the high olefins content of these gases. They ordinarily go to their own separation unit, plainly labeled an unsaturate gas plant, to avoid contaminating the paraffinic, straight-run LPG which uses the saturate gas plant.
Unsaturates
Hydrocarbons containing double or triple bonds. Olefins and aromatics which feature carbon-carbon double bonds have particular importance in the oil industry.
Unseaworthiness
Unfitness of a ship for a particular voyage with a particular cargo. This can be a function of many variables, including but not limited to insufficient crew stores or fuel, machinery or equipment failure, or unfitness (unclean tanks) to receive or carry the cargo.
uPES
Unsaturated Polyester Resins
UPR
Unsaturated Polyester Resins. Durable, resinous polymers. They are used over a broad spread of industries, mainly the construction, boat building, automotive and electrical industries. In most applications they are reinforced with small glass fibers - hence these plastics are commonly referred to as GRP or Glass Reinforced Plastics..
Upstream
A relative term which locates one point closer to origins than another. Crude distillation lies upstream of conversion processing, for example. The opposite of downstream.
Urea Carrier
A single deck cargo vessel for the carriage of urea in bulk. May be self discharging
US Consular Invoice
A document required on merchandise imported into the United States.
USA
United States of America
USAC
United States Atlantic Coast
USC
Unless sooner commenced
USCG
United States Coast Guard
USCG Number (US Coast Guard Number)
These are cargo compatibility groups assigned by the US Coast Guard in Code of Federal Regulations CFR 46 Part 150.
USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
USEC
United States East Coast
USFWS
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
USG
United States Gulf of Mexico
USNH
United States North of Cape Hatteras
USNOPC
United States North Pacific
USNP
United States North Pacific
USPE
Unsaturated Polyester Resins
USPPI – United States Principal Party of Interest
The party that receives the primary benefit from an export transaction, usually the seller of the goods.
USSA
United States Salvage Association
USSH
United States South of (Cape) Hatteras
USWC or USWE
United States West Coast
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time)
Utility Vessel
A small multi functional response vessel not dedicated to a particular function
UU/IUATUTC
Unless Used/If used (in which Case) Actual Time Used To Count
UUATUTC
Unless Used (Which Case) Actual Time Used To Count
UUIUATUTC
Unless Used If Used Actual Time Used To Count
UUIWCTAUTC
Unless Used In Which Case Time Actually Used To Count
UW
Underwriter(s). The party(s) who agrees to compensate another firm, usually a cargo owner or shipowner, for loss from an insured peril in consideration of payment of a premium.
V/L Ratio
VaporLiquid ratio. A measure of volatility which observes volume of vapor a given volume of liquid forms at various temperatures. Gasoline blenders, who make more use of this property than anyone else, report it as the temperature where a sample reaches, or should reach, a desirable volumeliquid ratio.
Vacuum Bottoms
The 1050 or 1100 F+ pitch which remains after a vacuum flasher removes vacuum gasoil from atmospheric bottoms. This thick residue has no direct use unless it meets asphalt specifications. Many refineries need to blend it into heavy fuel oil. The more fortunate can destroy it in a cooler or upgrade it in a visbreaker.
Vacuum Distillation
A technique for recovering heavy distillates from residue. The process lowers pressure under the level of the atmosphere, thereby reducing the temperature where hydrocarbons boil. This approach gives refiners access to molecules which would crack before they evaporated in a crude distiller.
Vacuum Flasher
A distillation unit which operates below atmospheric pressure. Refiners use such equipment--also called a vacuum still, vacuum unit, and other names--to recover vacuum gasoil from atmospheric residue.
Vacuum Gasoil
A product of vacuum distillation with a typical boiling range of 550-700 F to 1050-1150 F. Cat crackers process vacuum gasoil (catfeed). So do a few heavy liquids steam crackers.
Vacuum Unit
A distillation column run at a pressure below the level of the atmosphere in order to separate atmospheric residue into vacuum gasoil and vacuum bottoms. See VACUUM FLASHER.
Validated Export License
A document issued by the U.S. government; authorizes the export of commodities for which written authorization is required by law.
Validation
Authentication of B/L and when B/L becomes effective
VAM
Vinyl Acetate Monomer. A colorless, liquid organic compound, employed in the production of plastics.
Vanaspati
The term ""vanaspati"" originated in Indo-Pakistan sub-continent. In sanskrit ""Vanas"" means forest and ""Pati"", lord. Hence, literally vanaspati means Lord of the Forest, thus a tree, plant or a vegetable. This emphasises the vegetable origin of vanaspati, as opposed to animal origin of its most familiar counterpart, Ghee, used in Indo- Pakistan sub-continent as an all-purpose cooking medium. In these countries, vanaspati is by legal definition produced from hydrogenated vegetable oils. In India and Pakistan the formulation, production and marketing of vanaspati are controlled by law.
Vanning
A term for stowing cargo in a container.
Vapor density
Weight of a volume of pure vapor or gas (with no air present) compared to the weight of an equal volume of dry air at the same temperature and pressure. A vapor density less than 1 (one) indicates that the vapor is lighter than air and will tend to rise. A vapor density greater than 1 (one) indicates that the vapor is heavier than air and may travel along the ground.
Vapor pressure
Pressure at which a liquid and its vapor are in equilibrium at a given temperature. Liquids with high vapor pressures evaporate rapidly.
Vapor Pressure
The pressure generated by gases boiled off a liquid in a closed space. Standardized tests of this property, Reis method (RVP) most popular among them, report the observed pressure of liquid and gas in equilibrium at a particular temperature.
Vapor Pressure/Boiling Point
Tank cleaning: Products with a high vapor pressure (higher than some 50 mbar at 20 C) can be removed from the tank by evaporation. As always during ventilation, special care must be taken to prevent the risk of explosion (flammable products) and emission (toxic vapors). All safety ans environmental precautions must be taken.
Vapour Destruction Unit (VDU)
An installation, normally located at a terminal, which receives gasoline vapours from cargo tanks and destroys them by thermal oxidation or other means.
Vapour Recovery System
The practice where vapours in the ullage space of a vessel are returned to the shore via dedicated piping, during the loading or ballasting operation. (VRS = Vapour Recovery System, VECS = Vapour Emission Control System)
Vapour Recovery Unit (VRU)
An installation, normally located at a terminal, which receives gasoline vapours from cargo tanks and recovers them for subsequent use.
Variable Cost
Costs that vary directly with the level of activity within a short time. Examples include costs of mov- ing cargo inland on trains or trucks, stevedoring in some ports, and short–term equipment leases. For business analysis, all costs are either defined as variable or fixed. For a business to break even, all fixed costs must be covered. To make a profit, all variable and fixed costs must be recovered plus some extra amount.
VATG
Vinyl Acetate Toxicology Group (USA)
VATOS
Valid or value - at time of shipment
VCF
Volume Correction Factor
VCM
Vinyl Chloride Monomer. A colorless, flammable gas, used principally in making synthetic resin. Also called chloroethylene.
VCM
Vessel contingency manual
VCP
Voyage Charter Party. A charter party whereby the owner of a ship agrees to transport a full shipload of cargo owned or furnished by another person with the ship's crew and master in control of the navigation.
VECS
Vapour Emission Control System. See Vapour Returns System.
VEEP
Voluntary Energy Efficiency Programme. A voluntary commitment by the European chemical industry to reduce its specific energy consumption. The Programme was launched in 1992 and aimed to reduce the energy consumption of the industry by 15% between 1990 and 2000. It has then been extended till year 2005 with a target of 20% reduction in specific energy consumption for the period 1990-2005.
VEF
Vessel Experience Factor
Vegetable Oil Tanker
A cargo ship designed for the bulk transport of Vegetable oils in tanks. Tanks will be stainless steel or lined. New vessels will be classified as chemical carriers
Vegetable Oil Tanker, Inland Waterways
A tanker for the bulk carriage of vegetable oils which is not suitable for trading in open waters. New vessels will be classified as chemical tankers as defined in the International Bulk Chemical Code
Vehicles Carrier
A multi deck cargo ship for the carriage of new cars and trucks which are loaded via ramps
Ventilated Container
A container designed with openings in the side and/or end walls to permit the ingress of outside air when the doors are closed.
Vertical axis or yaw axis
Ship Stability: an axis drawn from top to bottom, and perpendicular to the other two axes. A yaw motion is a movement of the nose of the aircraft from side to side.
Vessel
All ships, tankers and barges used or capable of being used for the transportation of bulk hydrocarbons (including liquefied gases), bulk chemicals and bulk dry cargoes, and all craft involved in marine related operational activity associated with the hig
Vessel being in free pratique
VESSEL BEING IN FREE PRATIQUE shall mean that the Vessel complies with port health requirements.
Vessel Manifest
The international carrier is obligated to make declarations of the ship’s crew and contents at both the port of departure and arrival. The vessel manifest lists various details about each shipment by B/L number. Obviously, the B/L serves as the core source from which the manifest is created.
Vessel Questionnaire
Form used to collect vessel information for the purpose of determining its suitability for a customer''s specific transport needs.
Vessel Supplies for Immediate Exportation (VSIE)
Allows equipment and supplies arriving at one port to be loaded on a vessel, aircraft, etc., for its exclusive use and to be exported from the same port.
Vetting
Process whereby a ship is assessed for acceptance or accreditation by a customer or other interested parties to ensure that the ship meets their safety, quality and environmental requirements.
VGO
An acronym for vacuum gasoil. Some organizations use the term process gasoil, and the acronym PGO, for this feedstock.
VHF
Very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency (HF), and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency (UHF).
VIN
Vessel Identification Number
VIP
Very Important Person or Volume incentive program
VIQ
Vessel Inspection Questionnaire: Inspection format utilised by the OCIMF SIRE system.
Virgin
A description applied to streams which have not undergone a critical processing step. Most frequently, the term designates straight-run distillation cuts free of conversion refining products, such as virgin naphtha.
VISA
Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement. Provides the U.S. defense community with “assured access” to commercial intermodal capacity to move sustainment cargoes during time of war or national emer- gency. In return, during peacetime, the carriers receive preference in the carriage of DOD cargoes.
Visbreaker
A mild thermal cracker that treats crude unit or vacuum distiller bottoms to make them more fluid. Such units break some of the molecules, which flow poorly in these mixtures. The residue gives up some small molecules cracked off long hydrocarbon chains. The refinery collects these pieces, depending on their boiling range, as cracked gas, cracked naphtha, gasoil, and cat cracker charge. This breaking process contributes most to refining economics by reducing the amount of cutter required to blend still bottoms into saleable fuel oil.
Visbroken Naphtha
The cracked naphtha produced by a visbreaker.
Viscosity
A measure of liquids' resistance to flow. The oil industry uses several measurements, including Saybolt, Redwood, Engler, and Kinematic, to report how fast crude or product moves, or should move, at specified temperatures. Since heavier hydrocarbon mixtures flow easier when heated, any meaningful viscosity specification must indicate a test temperature.
Viscosity
Measure of a liquid's internal resistance to flow. This property is important because it indicates how fast a substance will leak out through holes in containers or tanks.
Viscosity Breaker
see VISBREAKER
Viz.
Namely. Used in tariffs to specify commodities.
VLBC
Very Large Bulk Carrier
VLCC
Very large crude carrier. A tanker between 160,000 and 319,999 deadweight tons, according to AFRA. In common usage, the industry tends to apply the term loosely. A round 150,000 to 300,000 DWT fits casual expectations.
VLFO – Vessel Load Free Out
The loading and discharge terms for the cargo to be shipped, as agreed to in the chartger party. The vessel (carrier) pays for the loading of the cargo on board the ship and the receiver pays for the dis- charge of the cargo from the ship to the pier.
VLOO
Very large ore/oiler (carrier)
VLPC
Very Large Product Carrier
VMS
Vessel Management Services, Inc. (subsidiary of CMC)
VOC
Vessel operating carrier
Volatile
A liquid from which gas evaporates rapidly. For the purpose of this policy the term volatile is taken to include any naturally volatile product with a "flash point" of less than 60 degrees C or any product being carried at a temperature that is higher tha
Volatile Matter
Volatile matter is the material in oils and fats which volatises upon drying of the oil or fat at 105°C. It includes moisture, solvent and any low molecular weight compounds present. Volatile matter is determined by drying a weighed quantity of the oil or fat in an oven at 105°C. The loss in weight calculated as a percentage of the weight of oil used constitutes the volatile matter. A high content of volatile matter will accelerate the process of hydrolysis in oils and fats. A maximum level of volatile matter in vegetable oils is usually specified in contracts.
