Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Salvage and Wreck Removal glossary (page 2)

The salvage-operations vocabulary: abandonment under the Salvage Convention 1989, active versus standby salvage, admiralty jurisdiction over salvage claims, and the historic reference works and tug terms. Grounds each term in the salvage operation or the convention article it belongs to, complementing the salvage-law section.

486 defined terms.

Showing 236 on this page (page 2 of 2).

M

MSC Zoe: The container ship that lost approximately 342 containers overboard in the North Sea in January 2019, generating significant cargo, environmental, and liability claims.
Multi-Cat Salvage Support: Use of multipurpose workboats for boom deployment, dive support, and pumping.
Multraship: Netherlands-based towage and salvage operator.

N

Naval Architect on Site: Salvor's lead engineer responsible for stability and structural calculations on a casualty.
Near miss reporting: ISM required reporting of near miss events.
Negative GM Casualty: Vessel with metacentric height below zero, prone to capsize, requiring careful counter-flooding.
Nippon Salvage: Japanese salvage contractor, NSK acted on Wakashio with SMIT.
No Cure No Pay: traditional salvage principle that salvors are paid only on success.
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration: US scientific support for oil and chemical spill response, including GNOME modeling.
NOFI: Norwegian boom and current buster manufacturer used in offshore oil response.
NOFI Current Buster: Towed oil collection and concentration system enabling high speed sweeping.
Norwegian Coastal Administration: Norwegian state agency with primary responsibility for oil spill response in Norwegian waters.

O

Ocean Salvage: Greek salvage company based in Athens.
Ocean Tow: Long distance towage of a vessel or unit across ocean basins.
Offshore Decommissioning: Removal of offshore oil and gas installations at the end of field life.
Offshore Supply Vessel Conversion: Adaptation of OSVs for salvage support including pumping and dive operations.
Oil Boom: Floating barrier deployed to contain or deflect oil on the water surface.
Oil Pollution Act of 1990: US legislation enacted after Exxon Valdez establishing salvage and pollution response requirements.
Oil Spill Modeling: Simulation of slick movement and weathering.
Oil Spill Response Limited: International Tier 3 OSRO with bases in Southampton, Singapore, Bahrain, and Fort Lauderdale.
Oil Spill Response Organization: Industry contractor providing pollution response services under regulatory or contractual obligations.
OilMap: RPS oil spill trajectory and fate model used by responders and planners.
One Hundred Year Storm: Statistical benchmark sometimes used in salvage weather window planning.
OPA 90: Oil Pollution Act 1990, US oil pollution liability statute.
OPRC 1990: International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation.
OPRL Ports: List of ports declared by states to accept oil spill response support.
Optical Holiday Detection: Inspection of patches for pinholes after temporary repair.
OSC: On-Scene Coordinator designated under the IAMSAR Manual to lead SAR operations on site.
OSRL: Oil Spill Response Limited, industry-funded tier 3 responder based in Southampton.
OSRO: Oil Spill Response Organization classified by US Coast Guard under OPA 90.
Outport Refuge: Sheltered location used as place of refuge when port of refuge cannot be reached.
Owner's Surveyor: Surveyor representing the shipowner's interests.

P

P&I Club Casualty Response: Coordinated assistance provided by a Protection and Indemnity club to assured shipowners after casualty.
P&O Maritime Salvage: P&O Maritime Logistics business line providing salvage and emergency response services.
Parbuckling: Rotational righting of a capsized vessel as performed on Costa Concordia 2013.
Parbuckling Strand Jack: Hydraulic jack used to apply incremental pull during parbuckling operations.
Patch and Pump: Standard refloating procedure combining hull patching with high volume dewatering.
PIANC Salvage Guidance: Reference material on salvage and ports of refuge published by the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
Pioneering Spirit: Allseas dual-hull heavy-lift and pipelay vessel of 382 m length, capable of S-lay and J-lay.
Pipelay Vessel Salvage Support: Use of pipelay tonnage in support of salvage and decommissioning when no dedicated SSCV is available.
Place of Refuge: Sheltered area allowing a casualty to stabilise, framed by IMO Resolution A.949(23).
Place of Safety: Term used in Article 1 of the Salvage Convention 1989 for the destination at which a casualty is delivered.
Pneumatic Lift Bag: Heavy duty lift bag inflated with compressed air for salvage lifting.
Pollution Insurance Limit: Maximum P&I cover available for pollution liability, set by IG club arrangements.
Pollution Response Vessel: Specialized craft with recovery tanks, sweeping arms, and skimmer support.
Port of Refuge: Port called at to address peril, often triggering general average.
Pre-Engineered Patching: Pre-fabricated steel patches designed and stored for rapid casualty deployment.
Pre-Mobilization Survey: Pre departure inspection of salvage equipment before deployment to a casualty.
Pre-Salvage Plan: Salvor's written plan submitted to authorities and clients before commencing major operations.
Pre-Wreck Removal Survey: Detailed assessment of a wreck before tendering wreck removal contracts.
Prevention of Pollution from Ships: MARPOL framework establishing pollution standards observed during salvage operations.
Priority Salvage Equipment: Critical first response gear airlifted or rapidly shipped to a casualty site.
Product Tanker Salvage: Operations on tankers carrying refined products such as gasoline, jet fuel, or diesel.
Progressive Flooding: Spread of water through internal openings, a key factor in casualty stability analysis.
Project Form: BIMCO 2018 Project standard form for the carriage of project cargo.
PTC Ring Crane: Mammoet Platform Twin Ring crane series enabling very high capacity lifts.
Pumping Plan: Engineered sequence of dewatering pumps and discharge routes to restore buoyancy.

Q

Quarter Lift: Hoisting of a vessel at the quarters during salvage to control trim during refloating.
Quayside Lighterage: Cargo transfer alongside a wharf rather than at sea.

R

Radial Saw Cutting: Mechanical cutting of jacket members and risers during decommissioning.
Radio Medical Advice: Consultation with shore based medical authorities during salvage operations.
Reactive Salvage Posture: Salvor strategy of responding to casualties as they arise without forward stationing of assets.
Receiver of Wreck: British official, established under the Merchant Shipping Act 1854, who administers wrecked goods.
Redelivery Survey: Final survey of salvage equipment after demobilization.
Reflag at Place of Safety: Administrative change of registration following arrival at port of refuge, sometimes required by owner restructuring.
Refloating: Returning a stranded vessel to free-floating condition by lightening or pulling.
Removed Wreck Disposal: Disposal options for recovered wreck material including scrap recycling and licensed dumping.
Resolve Marine Group: US marine salvage and emergency response company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Response Equipment Mobilization: Movement of pumps, generators, booms, and skimmers from depots to the casualty.
Response Tier 1: Spill response handled by the vessel or facility operator from on site resources.
Response Tier 2: Spill response requiring regional industry or government assistance.
Response Tier 3: Major spill response drawing on national or international OSRO resources.
Restoration Costs: Costs of returning a salvaged vessel to operational condition, separate from salvage award.
Reverse Osmosis Water Production: Onboard salvage utility for fresh water supply during extended operations.
Right of Tug Master: Latitude reserved to the tug master to make immediate decisions in dynamic salvage conditions.
Rigid Containment Boom: Boom with rigid floats suitable for harbor and inshore use.
Riser Cutting: Severance of risers from a platform during decommissioning.
River Salvage: Operations in inland waters with constraints of width, depth, and current.
RMS Lusitania: British liner sunk in 1915 off Ireland with subsequent commercial salvage attempts.
RMS Titanic: White Star liner sunk in April 1912, surveyed by Ballard in 1985 and subject to limited artifact recovery thereafter.
Ro-Boom: Inflatable oil containment boom designed for open water use.
Ro-Ro Casualty: Salvage of roll on roll off vessels, frequently complicated by free surface, vehicle cargo fires, and stability challenges.
ROV Survey: Use of remotely operated vehicles for underwater inspection of casualties and wrecks.
Royal Boskalis Westminster: Parent company of Boskalis Salvage and Boskalis Heavy Lift.
Royal Smit Tak: Historic name of the Rotterdam salvor founded in 1842 and now part of Boskalis Salvage.

S

Safe Haven: Location offering shelter and resources for a casualty to be stabilized.
Saipem 7000: Semi-submersible crane vessel capable of heavy-lift and J-lay pipelay operations, owned by Saipem.
Salvage Agreement: Written contract between salvor and owners governing terms of salvage.
Salvage Arbitration: Process by which Lloyd's appointed arbitrators determine LOF awards.
Salvage Association: maritime survey organization providing casualty surveys, now part of Braemar.
Salvage Award: Reward fixed under Salvage Convention 1989 criteria or LOF arbitration.
Salvage Bond: Cargo interest's contractual undertaking to provide salvage security.
Salvage Compensation: Generic term encompassing both classical reward and special compensation.
Salvage Contract: Any binding agreement governing the rendering of salvage services.
Salvage Convention 1989: International Convention on Salvage, with Article 14 special compensation.
Salvage Counsel: Lawyer specialized in salvage and admiralty matters, often advising on LOF and SCOPIC.
Salvage Crew Bonus: Ex gratia or contractual payment to salvor personnel after successful operations.
Salvage Decision Log: Documentary record of operational and engineering decisions during a salvage.
Salvage Engagement Notice: Notification of salvage commencement to underwriters and authorities.
Salvage Equipment Pool: Inventory of pumps, generators, and tools available for rapid deployment.
Salvage Lawyer: Practitioner appearing in LOF and Wreckhire arbitrations and court proceedings.
Salvage Lien: Maritime lien securing the salvor's claim against the salved property.
Salvage Master: Senior salvor in charge of on-scene operations and contract delivery.
Salvage Of Crude Oil Cargo: Operations to recover crude oil cargo, often involving heated transfer and inerting.
Salvage Operation: Any act undertaken to assist a vessel or other property in danger in navigable waters.
Salvage Plan: Document setting out method, equipment, and risk control for the operation.
Salvage Rights: Right to remuneration for successful salvage, recognized under customary maritime law and conventions.
Salvage Security: Bond, guarantee, or cash provided by property owners to release salved property pending award.
Salvage Services: Acts and operations rendered under salvage law and contracts.
Salvage Sub-Contractor: Specialist engaged by the principal salvor for specific tasks.
Salvage Surveyor: Marine surveyor attending salvage on behalf of insurers, owners, or salvors.
Salvage Tug: High-powered tug for casualty response.
Salvcon: BIMCO standard salvage contract used in select jurisdictions.
Salved Values: Value of vessel, cargo, freight, and bunkers preserved by salvage, forming the upper limit of the reward.
Sanchi: The Iranian-operated condensate tanker that collided with the CF Crystal in the East China Sea in January 2018 and sank, generating significant pollution and salvage claims.
Saturation Diving Salvage: Deep diving operations using saturation systems to access wrecks beyond air diving range.
SCOPIC: Special Compensation P&I Club Clause, optional supplement to LOF providing P&I-funded tariff remuneration where Article 14 might otherwise apply.
SCOPIC 1999: Original 1999 edition of the SCOPIC clause.
SCOPIC 2014: Updated edition of SCOPIC reflecting market practice and tariff adjustments.
SCOPIC 2020: Current edition of the SCOPIC clause adopted alongside LOF 2020.
SCOPIC Casualty Representative: Independent surveyor appointed under SCOPIC to attend on behalf of P&I interests.
SCOPIC Salvor's Tariff: Schedule of rates for personnel and equipment used to compute SCOPIC remuneration.
SCOPIC Termination: Right of either party to terminate SCOPIC where its provisions are inappropriate to circumstances.
Scuttling Authorization: Regulatory approval required for deliberate sinking of a wreck in licensed disposal sites.
Sea Anchor Deployment: Deployment of a drogue from a casualty to reduce drift rate while awaiting salvor connection.
Sea State Limitation: Maximum sea state at which a given salvage operation can be safely performed.
Seabed Survey Pre-Decommissioning: Survey of wreck site or platform location prior to removal to map debris and hazards.
Search and Recovery: Recovery of bodies, evidence, and equipment after a marine casualty.
Semi-Submersible Crane Vessel: Heavy lift vessel with deep draft semi-submersible hull providing motion stability for high lifts.
Service Speed Towage: Towing speed achievable during ocean tow of a disabled casualty.
Shallow Water Salvage: Operations in waters constrained by depth, typical of grounding cases on reefs and shoals.
Shanghai Salvage Bureau: Chinese state owned salvage bureau under the Ministry of Transport, China Rescue and Salvage.
Ship to Ship Transfer: Cargo transfer between two vessels, used legitimately and also for sanctions evasion in the dark fleet.
Shoreline Cleanup: Manual and mechanical cleanup of contaminated shorelines after a spill.
Side Pull Refloating: Application of lateral pulls from tugs or beach winches to dislodge a grounded vessel.
Sinking Salvage: Operations on partially or fully submerged vessels to recover cargo or remove the wreck.
Skimmer: Device for mechanical removal of oil from the water surface.
Skimmer Boom Combination: Joint deployment of containment boom and skimmer for higher recovery efficiency.
Sleipnir: Heerema semi submersible crane vessel with twin 10,000 t cranes used on offshore substation and foundation installation.
Smit Borneo: Historic Smit accommodation barge with crane capability.
Smit Cyclone: Smit Salvage operated ocean tug with bollard pull suited to deep sea salvage.
Smit Lion: Smit Salvage operated ocean tug.
SMIT Salvage: Dutch salvage contractor founded 1842, part of Boskalis since 2010.
Smit Sandy Cape: Smit Salvage operated ocean tug.
Smit Tak: Historic name of the Rotterdam salvage firm founded in 1842 and now within Boskalis.
Soft Boom: Lightweight oil containment boom suitable for sheltered waters.
SOLAS Chapter V: Safety of Navigation.
Sorbent: Material that absorbs or adsorbs oil, used as a polishing tool in spill response.
Sounding Tube Survey: Tank sounding survey on a casualty to determine flooding extent.
South Atlantic VLOC Casualty: Reference to the Stellar Daisy sinking in March 2017.
Special Compensation: compensation under Article 14 of the Salvage Convention 1989 for salvors preventing environmental damage.
Sponson Box: External buoyancy box attached to a hull during salvage to restore freeboard.
SSCV: Semi-submersible crane vessel.
Stability Calculations: Engineering analysis of intact and damage stability used in salvage planning.
Stage Payment: Milestone based payment under Wreckstage 2010 contract terms.
Standby Vessel: UK ERRV in proximity of installation.
Stationary Recovery System: Skimmer and tank system deployed at an anchorage rather than under tow.
Stellar Daisy: The very large ore carrier converted from a tanker that sank in the South Atlantic in March 2017, prompting industry attention to converted VLOC structural risks.
Strand Jack: Hydraulic jack pulling on bundles of high strength wire strand, used in heavy lifts and parbuckling.
Strength Deck Cutting: Severance of a vessel's strength deck during cutting operations on a wreck.
Submerged Wreck Removal: Operations to lift, cut, or otherwise remove a wreck from the seabed.
Subsea Cutting Tools: Diamond wire, abrasive water jet, and shear tools used for underwater severance.
Sue and Labour: Insurance principle requiring the assured to take reasonable measures to avert loss, with the cost recoverable from insurers.
Suez Canal Authority: Egyptian authority operating compulsory pilotage through the Suez Canal.
Surf Zone Salvage: Operations through the surf zone, requiring specialized landing craft and tractor support.
Survey of Casualty: Initial inspection of a casualty for damage assessment and salvage planning.
Svitzer: Towage operator and subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, headquartered in Copenhagen.
Svitzer Salvage: Maersk owned salvage division, joint Ardent venture closed 2019.
Swedish Coast Guard Salvage: Swedish governmental marine response and salvage capabilities.

T

T&T Salvage: US headquartered salvage contractor with OPA 90 OSRO standing.
Tail Cone Removal: Severance of jacket leg sections during platform removal.
Tank Cleaning Salvage: Cleaning of cargo tanks after a salvage operation, often required for sale of recovered cargo.
Tanker Refloating: Refloating operations involving tank vessels, requiring particular attention to cargo and bunker pollution risks.
Tariff Rates: Personnel and equipment rates set out in the SCOPIC schedule.
Tau Marine Salvage: Generic reference to salvage by Taiwan based operators.
Tender for Wreck Removal: Competitive bidding process for major wreck removal projects.
Tendered Salvage: Salvage assistance offered to but refused by the casualty master, sometimes a contested issue in subsequent claims.
Termination of LOF: Discharge of salvor's services upon delivery of casualty to place of safety.
Thialf: Heerema semi submersible crane vessel with twin 7,100 t cranes, used on offshore substation and foundation installation.
Three Tier Response: Industry framework dividing oil spill response into Tier 1, 2, and 3 capabilities.
Tidal window: Operational window based on tide for deep draft vessels.
Tide Gauge Monitoring: Real time tide measurement at a casualty site to inform refloating decisions.
Tier 1 Response: Operator level spill response from on site resources.
Tier 2 Response: Regional industry and government response.
Tier 3 Response: National and international OSRO response.
Titan Salvage: Crowley salvage subsidiary, parbuckled Costa Concordia, merged into Ardent 2015.
Titanic: White Star liner sunk on 15 April 1912 in the North Atlantic, the wreck discovered in 1985 by a Woods Hole and IFREMER team led by Robert Ballard.
Tow Master: Person in charge during rig moves and ocean tows.
Tow Wire Tension Monitoring: Real time measurement of tow line tension to detect surge or imminent failure.
Towage Contract: BIMCO TOWHIRE/TOWCON or industry-standard offshore towage contracts.
TOWCON 2008: BIMCO international ocean towage agreement, lump sum.
TOWHIRE 2008: BIMCO international ocean towage agreement, daily hire.
Transient Salvor: Vessel of opportunity that renders salvage without prior contractual engagement.
Trim Adjustment: Modification of longitudinal weight distribution to optimize refloating buoyancy.
Tropical Storm Casualty: Casualty arising from tropical cyclone exposure.
Tsavliris Salvage: Greek salvage company based in Athens with worldwide LOF experience.
Tug Bollard Pull: Maximum static pull a tug can exert at zero speed, the standard rating for salvage tugs.
Tug Connection: Hookup of the casualty to the salvor's tug, often the most hazardous step in salvage.
Two Hundred Tonne Bollard Pull Class: Class of large ocean salvage tugs with bollard pull above 200 tonnes.

U

Underwater Welding: Wet or dry hyperbaric welding used for hull repairs during salvage.
United Salvage: Australian salvage operator with regional Asia Pacific operations.
US Coast Guard Captain of the Port: US authority empowered to direct salvage and pollution response operations in US waters.
US National Strike Force: USCG specialized pollution response force with command, control, and equipment resources.
Useful Result: Outcome required under Article 12 of the 1989 Convention before a salvage reward becomes payable.
USFOS Stability Modeling: Software used in marine and offshore stability analysis.

V

Vessel of Opportunity: Commercial vessel pressed into spill response or salvage support service in an emergency.
Vibrating Hammer Pile Extraction: Use of vibratory hammers to extract piles during decommissioning.
Vikoma: UK based manufacturer of oil spill response equipment.
VLCC Casualty: Salvage involving very large crude carriers with significant pollution potential.
Voluntary Salvage: Salvage rendered without prior contractual engagement, an essential element of traditional salvage law.
Voyage Data Recorder Recovery: Recovery of the VDR from a wreck for casualty investigation.

W

Wakashio: 2020 Japanese owned bulker grounded on Mauritius reef, broken in two for removal.
Warning Signal: Audible and visual signals required during salvage operations near other traffic.
Wave Period Window: Sea state criterion based on wave period for safe execution of specific salvage tasks.
Weather Routing for Tow: Forecast based routing of an ocean tow to avoid severe weather.
Weather window: Period of suitable weather for an operation.
Weather Working Days: Charter party concept relevant to tow contract operations.
Well Plug and Abandonment: Permanent well closure operations preceding offshore platform removal.
Wet Tow: Towing a floating structure by wet draft.
White Marlin: Boskalis semi-submersible heavy transport vessel.
Winch Pulling: Use of anchored winches to apply pulling forces during refloating.
Wire Saw Cutting: Use of diamond wire saws for severance of jacket members and pipe.
Wreck: Vessel that has become a total loss or is so damaged as to be a hazard to navigation or the environment.
Wreck Coordinator: Project manager assigned by the contracting party to oversee wreck removal works.
Wreck Diving Survey: Dive survey of a wreck for hazard identification, cargo assessment, and removal planning.
Wreck Removal Convention: Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007, in force from 14 April 2015.
Wreck Tracker: AIS or sonar identifier used to monitor wreck sites for movement or scour.
WRECKFIXED 2010: BIMCO lump-sum wreck removal contract.
WRECKHIRE 2010: BIMCO daily hire wreck removal contract.
WRECKSTAGE 2010: BIMCO milestone payment wreck removal contract.

X

X-Press Pearl: The container ship that caught fire and sank off Colombo, Sri Lanka in May and June 2021, generating one of the most significant container-related environmental incidents and large insurance and…

Y

Yantai Salvage Bureau: Chinese state owned salvage bureau under the China Rescue and Salvage organization, with primary base at Yantai.
Yokohama Fender: Pneumatic ship-to-ship transfer fender developed by Yokohama Rubber.
York-Antwerp Rules: CMI-drafted rules for adjustment of general average; current editions 1994, 2004, 2016.

Z

Zero Cure Zero Pay: Vernacular reformulation of the no cure no pay principle.
Zone Defense Booming: Tiered booming strategy protecting sensitive shorelines with successive containment lines.