Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Inland Navigation and Barge Operations glossary

The inland-waterway vocabulary: the ADN dangerous-goods regime and its certificates, the historical ADNR Rhine rules, the CEMT waterway classification, and the barge, push-tow, and lock-operation terms. Grounds each term in the inland-navigation treaty or the waterway it belongs to.

197 defined terms.

A

ADN: Accord europeen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par voies de Navigation interieures, concluded 2000, in force 28 February 2008, governing dangerous goods on inland…
ADN Agreement: UNECE-administered treaty applying to international inland waterway carriage of dangerous goods in Europe.
ADN Certificate of Approval: Vessel certificate confirming compliance with ADN construction and equipment rules for tankers and dry cargo vessels.
ADN Expert Certificate: Personal certificate for ADN expert, gas expert, or chemical expert required on dangerous goods vessels.
ADNR: Reglement pour le transport de matieres dangereuses sur le Rhin, the historical Rhine-specific dangerous goods regime superseded for international traffic by ADN.
Air draft: Vertical distance from waterline to highest fixed point of the ship.
AIS Class A Inland: Inland AIS station compatible with SOLAS Class A, mandatory on most CCNR and EU inland vessels.
AIS Inland: Inland-specific Automatic Identification System based on ITU-R M.1371 with extended message set for inland navigation.
AmaWaterways: River cruise operator running European, Asian, and African inland itineraries.
Anderton Boat Lift: Victorian-era boat lift in Cheshire, England, connecting the Trent and Mersey Canal with the River Weaver.
Antonie: Hydrogen-fueled inland cargo vessel operated by Future Proof Shipping, in service from 2023 on Dutch waterways.
Argo: Mythic Greek ship of Jason in the Argonautica, often cited as the archetype of long-voyage exploration narrative.
Articulated tug barge: ATB unit common in US coastal trade.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway: Inland navigable route along the US Atlantic coast from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida.
Authority of the Rhine: Informal reference to the CCNR, the oldest continuously operating international organization.

B

Barge: Tank vessel used for bunker delivery alongside ocean-going ships in port and at anchorage.
Barge Train: Composite formation of multiple barges pushed or towed by a single tug.
Basel: Upstream limit of large-vessel Rhine navigation in Switzerland, terminus of the navigable Rhine corridor.
Bateau Mouche: Open passenger excursion boats operating on the Seine in Paris.
Belgrade Convention: 1948 treaty establishing the Danube Commission and regime of free navigation on the Danube.
Belomor Canal: White Sea-Baltic Canal in Russia, opened 1933, linking the White Sea with Lake Onega.
BICS: Binnenvaart Informatie en Communicatie Systeem, the Dutch electronic reporting application for inland vessels.
Blue Board: Inland navigation signal board displayed on the starboard side to indicate non-standard passing arrangement.
Blue Cone: ADN signal of one, two, or three blue cones indicating the dangerous goods hazard class carried.
Boat Lift: Mechanical structure that raises or lowers vessels between water levels, alternative to lock staircases.
Boatmaster: Master of an inland navigation vessel holding the required national or EU certificate.
Bulk Mover: Inland self-propelled bulk cargo vessel, common term in Rhine and Danube trades.
Bunkering: supplying fuel to a vessel by barge, truck, or shoreside pipeline.

C

Cairo, Illinois: River-mile zero datum for the Lower Mississippi and reference point for Upper Mississippi and Ohio mileage.
CCNR: Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine, founded 1815, with secretariat in Strasbourg.
CCNR-II: Former Rhine engine emission standard for inland vessel engines, superseded by NRMM Stage V.
CEMT: Conference Europeenne des Ministres des Transports, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, now the International Transport Forum.
CEMT Class I: Peniche, 38.5 m by 5.05 m, 250 to 400 tonnes capacity.
CEMT Class II: Kempenaar, 50 to 55 m by 6.6 m, 400 to 650 tonnes.
CEMT Class III: Gustav Konig type, 67 to 80 m by 8.2 m, 650 to 1,000 tonnes.
CEMT Class IV: Johann Welker type, 80 to 85 m by 9.5 m, 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes.
CEMT Class Va: Grosses Rheinschiff, 95 to 110 m by 11.4 m, 1,500 to 3,000 tonnes.
CEMT Class Vb: Pushed convoy 172 to 185 m by 11.4 m.
CEMT Class VIa: Wide vessel or pushed convoy 95 to 110 m by 22.8 m.
CEMT Class VIb: Pushed convoy 185 to 195 m by 22.8 m.
CEMT Class VIc: Large pushed convoy 270 m by 22.8 m.
CEMT Class VII: Largest pushed convoy class, 285 m by 33 m.
CESNI: Comite europeen pour l'elaboration de standards dans le domaine de la navigation interieure, hosted by CCNR in Strasbourg.
CESNI/PT: CESNI working group on technical requirements producing ES-TRIN.
CESNI/QP: CESNI working group on professional qualifications producing ES-QIN.
CEVNI: Code Europeen des Voies de la Navigation Interieure, UNECE inland equivalent of COLREGs.
Channel: Maintained navigable corridor in a river or canal.
Container Inland Vessel: Self-propelled inland vessel configured to carry containers in stacks.
Coupe Class: Self-propelled inland vessel of 86 m by 9.5 m, common on the Rhine system.
Crown Stage: River stage range within which lock and dam operations are normal on Mississippi tributaries.

D

Danube: 2,415 km navigable from Kelheim in Bavaria to Sulina on the Black Sea.
Danube Commission: Intergovernmental body established by the Belgrade Convention 1948, seated in Budapest.
Dead freight: Charge for unused bunker capacity reserved but not delivered.
Demurrage: Liquidated damages for detention of ship beyond laytime.
Directive (EU) 2016/1629: EU directive laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, referencing ES-TRIN.
Directive (EU) 2017/2397: EU directive on the recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation.
Directive 2005/44/EC: EU directive on harmonized River Information Services on inland waterways.
Directive 96/50/EC: Former EU directive on mutual recognition of national boatmasters' certificates, repealed by 2017/2397.
Draft: Vertical distance from waterline to lowest point of the hull.
Dry Cargo Vessel ADN: ADN-certified inland vessel for solid dangerous goods.
Dumb Barge: Non-propelled barge moved by tug or pusher.

E

ECDIS Inland: Electronic Chart Display and Information System for inland waterways under standard 2.4 and S-401.
EHDB: European Hull Database, central inland AIS-linked database of inland vessel particulars.
Elbe: River navigable from Hamburg to the Czech border, approximately 730 km.
Electronic Reporting International: ERI, the RIS standard for electronic ship reporting on European inland waterways.
ELWIS: Elektronischer Wasserstrassen-Informationsservice, the German federal inland waterway information portal.
Emden Lock: Sea lock on the Ems estuary providing access from the North Sea to German inland canals.
ERI: Electronic Reporting International, RIS-compliant ship and voyage reporting standard.
ES-QIN: European Standard for Qualifications in Inland Navigation issued by CESNI.
ES-RIS: European Standard for River Information Services issued by CESNI.
ES-TRIN: European Standard laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels, edition 2023/1.
EU Inland Boatmaster Certificate: Harmonized certificate issued under Directive (EU) 2017/2397.
Europa II Barge: Pushed barge of 76.5 m by 11.4 m, standard Rhine push-tow unit.
Europa Tanker: Type C ADN tanker barge widely used for chemical and product trades on the Rhine.
European Hull Database: Central register supporting ENI numbering and vessel data exchange.

F

Fairway: Navigable channel.
Falkirk Wheel: Rotating boat lift in Scotland connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.
Fleet Boat: Small towing vessel handling barges within a fleeting area on US rivers.
Fleeting Area: Designated river bank or basin for assembling and storing barges between tows.
Future Proof Shipping: Operator of zero-emission inland cargo vessels including the hydrogen-fueled Antonie.

G

Garonne: French river navigable below Castets-en-Dorthe with connections to the Canal de Garonne.
Gatun Locks: Original Panama Canal locks raising vessels to Gatun Lake, opened 1914.
GIWW: Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, sheltered inland route from Brownsville, Texas, to Carrabelle, Florida, about 1,300 miles.
Grosses Rheinschiff: Large Rhine vessel of CEMT Class Va.
Gustav Konig: Reference vessel for CEMT Class III.

H

Headway: Forward motion through the water.
HHWS: Hochstwasserstand, highest navigable water level on German waterways above which navigation is closed.
Hopper barge: Self propelled or towed dredger spoil barge.
HVO: Hydrotreated vegetable oil, a drop-in renewable diesel used in inland vessel engines.
HWS: Hochwasserstand, high water level threshold on German rivers.
Hydrogen Inland Vessel: Inland cargo vessel powered by hydrogen fuel cells, exemplified by Antonie.

I

Ice Closure: Suspension of navigation on canals and locked rivers due to ice.
IMO Number Inland Equivalent: ENI, the European Number of Identification of inland vessels, assigned via the EHDB.
Inland AIS: AIS for inland waterways under EU directives.
Inland ECDIS: Standardized electronic chart system for European inland waterways.
Inland Navigation Rules Act of 1980: US statute codifying inland navigation rules, implemented at 33 CFR Part 83.
Inland Rules: US navigation rules applicable on inland waters as defined in 33 CFR Part 83.
Inland Waterways Users Board: US federal advisory committee on inland navigation infrastructure investment.
Integrated Tug Barge: Rigidly connected tug and barge unit operated as a single vessel.
IRIS Europe: EU-funded project series implementing River Information Services across member states.
ITF: International Transport Workers' Federation, publisher of the FOC list.

J

Johann Welker: Reference vessel for CEMT Class IV.
Jumbo Hopper Barge: Mississippi system barge of 200 ft by 35 ft by 12 ft, approximately 1,800 tons capacity.

K

Kelheim: Bavarian town marking the upper limit of Danube navigation and start of the Main-Danube Canal.
Kempenaar: Belgian-Dutch barge type defining CEMT Class II.
Kiel Canal: NOK, Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, 98 km between Brunsbuttel and Holtenau with twin locks at each end.
Krasnoyarsk Ship Lift: Inclined plane ship lift on the Yenisei River at the Krasnoyarsk Dam.

L

Lashed Tow: US river tow with barges rigidly secured to a pusher.
Lift Lock: Mechanical lift performing the function of a chamber lock.
Liquid Mover: Inland tanker vessel for liquid bulk cargoes.
LNG Bunker Barge: Barge supplying liquefied natural gas to vessels at inland or port locations.
Lock Chamber: Enclosed basin of a lock between gates.
Lock Fee: Charge levied for transit of a lock by certain authorities.
Lock Fill Basin: Side reservoir used to reduce water consumption during lockages.
Loire: French river with limited commercial navigation, partly canalized.
Lower Mississippi: Mississippi River from Cairo to the Gulf of Mexico, unleveed natural channel.
LWS: Lowest navigable water level used as a reference for fairway depth guarantees.

M

Main-Danube Canal: Rhein-Main-Donau-Kanal, 171 km, completed 1992, connecting the Rhine basin to the Danube via the European Watershed.
Mannheim Convention: 1868 Revised Convention for Rhine Navigation governing freedom of navigation on the Rhine.
Mekong: Southeast Asian river navigable in sections through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and China.
Miraflores Locks: Pacific-side locks of the original Panama Canal.
Mississippi River: 3,766 km navigable from the Gulf of Mexico to Minneapolis via the Upper Mississippi locks.
Mississippi River Commission: US federal commission established 1879 overseeing Mississippi navigation and flood control.
Mitre Gate: V-shaped lock gate pair pointing upstream against water pressure.
Moselle: Tributary of the Rhine navigable from Metz to Koblenz, canalized under a 1956 treaty.
Moselle Commission: International commission of France, Germany, and Luxembourg administering the canalized Moselle.

N

Neckar: German tributary of the Rhine, canalized with 27 locks between Mannheim and Plochingen.
NOK: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, the Kiel Canal, with compulsory pilotage above 1,600 GT.
Notices to Skippers: RIS service distributing fairway and traffic information to inland skippers.
NRMM: Non-Road Mobile Machinery Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 setting Stage V emission limits for inland vessel engines from 2019 to 2020.
NTS: New Times Shipbuilding, Chinese private yard at Jingjiang.

O

Oder: River navigable between Szczecin and the upper Oder canal system, shared by Germany and Poland.
Ohio River: US navigable river of 981 miles with locks and dams managed by USACE.

P

Panama Canal: Atlantic-Pacific chokepoint under ACP control.
Pearl River: South China river system, with the Xi Jiang the principal navigable branch.
Pedro Miguel Locks: Single-step lock on the Pacific side of the original Panama Canal.
Peniche: French barge type, reference vessel for CEMT Class I.
PIANC: World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
Pousseur: French term for inland pusher tug.
Pre-Arrival Reporting: RIS service for advance notification of vessel arrivals.
PRR: Pre-Arrival Reporting under RIS.
Pusher: Inland tug designed to push barges via square coupling face.

Q

Quay wall: Vertical retaining structure forming berth face, designed under BS 6349.

R

Rhein-Main-Donau-Kanal: Main-Danube Canal of 171 km, opened 1992.
Rheinschiff: Generic term for Rhine vessel, qualified by size class.
Rhine: Approximately 800 km navigable from Basel to Rotterdam.
Rhine-km: Kilometer reference along the Rhine starting at zero at Constance.
Rhone: French river canalized from Lyon to the Mediterranean.
RIS: River Information Services, harmonized information services for inland waterway traffic under Directive 2005/44/EC.
RIS COMEX: Pan-European RIS corridor management execution project.
RIS Index: Reference database of objects on the waterway used by RIS services.
River Information Services Directive: Directive 2005/44/EC mandating harmonized RIS in EU member states.
River Kilometer: Linear distance measured along a river from a defined origin.
River Mile: US convention for linear distance along a river measured in statute miles.
RoRo Inland: Roll-on roll-off inland vessel for trailers and project cargo.

S

Saar: German tributary of the Moselle, canalized for 91 km in Germany.
Saint Lawrence Seaway: System of seven locks between Montreal and Lake Erie operated jointly by Canada and the United States.
Saone: French river canalized between Corre and Lyon, connecting to the Rhone.
Sava Commission: International commission for the Sava River Basin established by the 2002 Framework Agreement.
Sector Gate: Curved lock gate pivoting about a vertical axis, used at large lock heads.
Seine: French river canalized below Marcilly with major freight traffic into Paris and Rouen.
Self-propelled Barge: Inland cargo vessel with its own propulsion, distinct from dumb barges.
Ship lift: Mechanical lift transferring vessels to land.
Single Lift Lock: Lock with a single chamber rise.
Stage V: Current NRMM emission tier for inland waterway vessel engines under Regulation (EU) 2016/1628.
Staircase Lock: Series of contiguous lock chambers without intermediate pounds.
Strepy-Thieu Boat Lift: Boat lift on the Canal du Centre in Belgium with a 73.15 m lift.
Suez Canal: Opened 1869, reshaping global shipping routes between Europe and Asia.

T

Tank Barge: Liquid cargo barge, US standard sizes including 297 ft by 54 ft by 12 ft of about 27,500 barrels capacity.
Tankschiff: German term for inland tanker vessel.
Tennessee River: US river navigable for 652 miles, managed by TVA with nine main-stem locks.
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway: 234-mile canal connecting the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River, opened 1985.
Three Gorges Ship Lift: Vertical ship lift at Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze with 3,000 ton lift capacity.
Three Gorges Ship Locks: Twin five-step lock flights at the Three Gorges Dam.
Tow: Pull through the water.
Tow Knee: Padded steel projection on the bow of a US push boat for engaging barges.
TVA: Tennessee Valley Authority, US federal corporation overseeing Tennessee River navigation and power.

U

UNECE Inland Transport Committee: UN body administering ADN, CEVNI, and the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways AGN.
Upper Mississippi: Mississippi River above Cairo with 29 locks and dams operated by USACE.
USACE: United States Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for federal navigation channels and locks.

V

VBW: Verein fur europaische Binnenschifffahrt und Wasserstrassen, German inland navigation industry association.
Viking Longship: Class of 135 m European river cruise ships operated by Viking River Cruises.
Volga-Baltic Waterway: Russian inland route linking the Volga to the Baltic via Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga.
Volga-Don Canal: 101 km canal opened 1952 connecting the Volga with the Don and Sea of Azov.
Voyage Tracking and Tracing: VTT, RIS service for monitoring vessel positions and voyages.

W

Wasserstrassen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes: WSV, German federal waterways and shipping administration.
Welland Canal: Canadian canal of eight locks lifting vessels 99 m between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
Weser: German river navigable from Hann. Munden to Bremerhaven via canalized sections.
Western Rivers: US navigable waters of the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland systems with distinct rules.
Western Rivers Rules: Subset of US Inland Rules applicable to Western Rivers with specific whistle and lighting requirements.
WSV: Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration of Germany.

X

Xi Jiang: West River, principal navigable branch of the Pearl River system in southern China.

Y

Yangtze: Chinese river of approximately 6,300 km with year-round navigation to Chongqing for ocean-going vessels of up to 5,000 dwt.

Z

Zone 1 Inland: ES-TRIN navigation zone covering estuarial and coastal waters with the most stringent requirements.
Zone 2 Inland: ES-TRIN navigation zone covering large lakes and lower reaches of major rivers.
Zone 3 Inland: ES-TRIN navigation zone covering main inland waterway corridors.
Zone 4 Inland: ES-TRIN navigation zone covering smaller inland waterways with the least demanding requirements.