Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Port Agency, Husbandry and Disbursement glossary

The port-agency vocabulary: abatement of disbursement accounts, absentee crew lists, acceptance of the Notice of Readiness for laytime, and the husbandry, attendance, and proforma-DA terms. Grounds each term in the agency function or the disbursement-account step it belongs to.

602 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 3).

A

Abatement of Disbursement: Reduction applied to a final disbursement account after the principal disputes specific line items with supporting evidence.
Absentee Crew List: Roster prepared by the agent identifying crew members who failed to rejoin the vessel before sailing.
Acceptance of NOR: Formal acknowledgment by charterer or receiver that a tendered Notice of Readiness is valid for laytime commencement.
Accommodation Ladder Inspection: Agency-arranged safety check of the gangway before shore personnel board the vessel.
Accrued Port Dues: Charges accumulated against the vessel between arrival and departure pending final assessment by port authority.
Acknowledgment of Receipt: Written confirmation by the master that cash, documents, or stores have been delivered on board by the agent.
Active Agent: Appointed agent currently handling a specific port call as distinct from a network principal or correspondent.
Address commission: Commission deducted from gross freight or hire payable to the charterer.
Adjusted Disbursement: Revised account incorporating corrections to tariffs, services rendered, or third-party invoices.
Advance Funding Request: Agent's request to the principal for prepayment covering anticipated port expenses.
Advance Notice of Arrival: Communication to port authorities transmitted by the agent within statutory windows before vessel arrival.
Affreightment Contract Notice: Notification by agent that a vessel call is performed under a contract of affreightment rather than spot charter.
Agency Agreement: contract between an insurer and an agent setting underwriting authority limits.
Agency Appointment: Written instruction nominating an agent for a specific vessel call or contract period.
Agency fee: Charge by a carrier or NVOCC for documentation and local representation.
Agency Funds: Money held by the agent on the principal's behalf to settle port expenses.
Agency Husbandry Allowance: Separate fee covering crew, supply, and personal services beyond standard port call work.
Agency Instruction: Written directive from principal to agent specifying services to be performed.
Agency Nomination: Naming of the agent in the charter party or by post-fixture notice.
Agency Override: Additional commission paid to a network or hub agency on top of the local agency fee.
Agency Tariff: Published schedule of agency fees, often issued by national associations or individual firms.
Agent of Necessity: Agent appointed under emergency conditions without express authorization, binding the principal under doctrine of necessity.
Air Draft Restriction: Vertical clearance limit at a berth or under a bridge that the agent confirms before vessel arrival.
Algeciras Bunker Anchorage: Designated waiting area off Algeciras where vessels take bunkers from CEPSA, Vemarsa, and Repsol barges.
Alongside Time: Period between first line ashore and last line let go, recorded in the Statement of Facts.
Always Accessible Berth: Charter party clause requiring a berth reachable without tide or weather delay.
Always afloat: Charter requirement that the vessel must remain afloat at all states of the tide.
Always Safely Afloat or NAABSA: Variant clause distinguishing ports where the vessel may rest on a soft bottom.
American Club: Common name for the American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc., a New York-based International Group P&I club founded in 1917.
Anchor watch: Watch maintained on anchored vessel.
Anchorage Allocation: Assignment of a specific anchorage position by port control, communicated through the agent.
Anchorage Bunkering: Delivery of bunker fuel to a vessel at anchor rather than alongside a terminal.
Anchorage Clearance: Permission for the vessel to depart its anchorage position for berthing or onward sailing.
Anchorage Operations: Cargo, crew, or supply activities conducted while the vessel is at anchor.
Anchorage Survey: Inspection performed at anchor to determine vessel condition or cargo quantity.
ANL Container Line: Australian National Line container subsidiary of CMA CGM operating in Australasia.
APASA: Asian and Pacific Shipowners Association acting on policy matters affecting the region.
APL Agency Network: American President Lines now part of CMA CGM relying on the parent's owned agency offices.
Appointment Letter: Document confirming the agent's authority to act for a named vessel and voyage.
Approach Channel Pilotage: Compulsory pilotage in the channel leading to a port, arranged by the agent.
Approval of PDA: Principal's authorization to fund the pro forma disbursement account before the call begins.
Arrival Conditions: Reported vessel state on arrival including draft, ROB, and cargo readiness.
Arrival Draft Survey: Initial draft measurement used in calculating cargo loaded or discharged.
Arrival Information: Data set transmitted by the agent including ETA, last port, crew list, and stores list.
Arrival notice: Carrier notice to consignee of cargo arrival.
ASBA: Association of Ship Brokers and Agents based in New York, publisher of ASBATANKVOY and related forms.
Asbatankvoy: Standard tanker voyage charter party of the Association of Ship Brokers and Agents.
Asia Average Adjusters Association: Regional body of average adjusters whose work intersects with agency port stay records.
Assigned Berth: Specific berth designated by the terminal or port authority for a given vessel call.
Attendance fee: Pilotage charge levied when a pilot attends but does not perform a full transit, for example a cancelled job.

B

Bahri Agency Services: Port representation handled by Bahri's agency network across the Middle East.
Bahri Dry Bulk: Bulk carrier division of Bahri whose port calls are coordinated through approved agents.
Bahri Ship Management: Ship management arm of Bahri, the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, with associated agency arrangements.
Ballast Voyage Call: Port call performed in ballast to position the vessel for the next loading port.
Ballast Water Reporting: Submission of ballast water management forms by the agent on the vessel's behalf.
Baltic Exchange: London-based provider of freight market information and assessments.
Baltic Sea Pilotage: Coordinated pilot service in Baltic approaches arranged through national pilot stations.
Bareboat Charter Call: Port call by a vessel under bareboat charter, with disbursement responsibility on the bareboat charterer.
Barge Operator Coordination: Agent liaison with bunker, water, sludge, or supply barges in port and at anchor.
BDN: Bunker delivery note required under MARPOL Annex VI.
Berth Application: Formal request by the agent to the port for berth allocation.
Berth Availability Report: Update from terminal to agent on next available berthing window.
Berth Box: Defined sea area assigned for a vessel in a DP field operation.
Berth Congestion Notice: Notification by the agent that vessels are waiting beyond normal expectation for berth.
Berth Energy Charges: Tariffs for shore power, water, or compressed air supplied at berth.
Berth Occupancy Hours: Time recorded in Statement of Facts during which the vessel occupies the berth.
Berth Productivity Report: Statement of cargo moves per hour while alongside, prepared with terminal data.
Berthing master: Pilot or boatman directing the final lines-down phase alongside a berth.
Berthing Plan: Sequence of vessel arrivals and berth assignments distributed to agents by the port.
Berthing Window: Time slot reserved for a vessel under terminal scheduling agreements.
Bill of Health: Health document issued by port authority confirming sanitary status of the vessel.
BIMCHEMVOY: BIMCO chemical voyage charter form referenced by tanker agents.
BIMCO: Baltic and International Maritime Council, drafter of standard maritime contracts.
BIMCO Agency Appointment Form: Standard contract template defining the relationship between principal and port agent.
BIMCO Standard Disbursements Account: Template used by many agents for presenting itemized port costs.
Boarding Officer: Officer in charge of a VBSS team.
Boatman Service: Mooring boat handling vessel lines at berth, billed through agency disbursement.
Bond Locker Seal: Customs seal on the vessel's bonded store, broken and resealed under agency supervision.
Bonded Store Survey: Customs verification of bonded inventory carried out alongside the agent.
Bonded Stores: Tobacco, liquor, and similar items held under customs control, replenished by the agent's chandler.
Bow Thruster Notice: Operational notice that bow thruster failure may require additional tugs, communicated to agent and pilot.
Branch Office Agent: Agent operating from a branch of a larger network rather than as an independent firm.
Britannia P&I: P&I club operating a Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) scheme for entered crews.
British Marine: UK trade association for leisure marine industry.
Broker Commission Note: Statement of brokerage payable, sometimes prepared by the agent for the broker.
Bulk Carrier Husbandry: Husbandry services tailored to dry bulk vessels including hold cleaning support and surveyors.
Bulk Liquid Tank Cleaning: Tank cleaning service coordinated by chemical tanker agents between cargoes.
Bunker Anchorage: Designated anchorage area where vessels lie at anchor to receive bunkers from barges.
Bunker barge: Tanker delivering fuel oil, MGO, or LNG to a cruise ship at berth or at anchor.
Bunker Call: Port call whose principal purpose is to take on fuel and stores.
Bunker Delivery Receipt: Master's receipt acknowledging bunker quantity and quality delivered.
Bunker Nomination: Charterer or owner instruction designating supplier, port, grade, and quantity for a bunker stem.
Bunker Pumping Rate Clause: Charter party provision on minimum pumping rate during bunker delivery.
Bunker Quality Claim: Dispute over off-specification fuel handled through agent and surveyors.
Bunker Sampling: Drawing of fuel samples during delivery, witnessed by agent and surveyor.
Bunker Stem: Single bunker order identified by vessel, port, supplier, grade, and quantity.
Bunker survey: Quantity and quality measurement at delivery and redelivery.
Bureau Veritas: French classification society delegated by some flag States to approve MET programs and issue MLC certificates.

C

Cabotage Restriction: National rule limiting coastal trade to domestic flagged vessels, affecting agency advice on routing.
Call Cost Estimate: Pre-call summary of all anticipated port costs prepared by the agent.
Call Cost Reconciliation: Comparison of estimated and final port costs to explain variances.
Canal Transit Agent: Specialist agent handling Suez, Panama, Kiel, or similar canal transits.
Cargo Damage Report: Documentation of damage observed on cargo, prepared with surveyors.
Cargo Documents Bundle: Set of bills of lading, manifests, and certificates handled at the call.
Cargo Hold Cleanliness Inspection: Pre-load inspection of bulk holds organized by the agent.
Cargo Manifest: Statutory list of cargo carried.
Cargo Operations Plan: Document detailing loading or discharge sequence, coordinated between vessel, terminal, and agent.
Cargo Quantity Survey: Determination of cargo loaded or discharged using draft survey or shore scales.
Cargo Readiness Notice: Shipper's confirmation that cargo is available for loading, relayed by the agent.
Cargo Sequence List: Container load list dictating stowage order, coordinated with terminal planners.
Cargo Surveyor Network: System of surveyors maintained by inspection firms to attend port calls globally.
Cargo Tally: Tally of cargo units loaded or discharged, often produced by independent tally clerks.
Cash Advance to Master: Disbursement of cash to the master for ship and crew needs at the port.
Cash to Master Receipt: Signed receipt by the master for cash delivered on board.
Certificate of Free Pratique: Health authority document allowing the vessel to commence port operations.
Channel Pilotage Fee: Charge for piloting through the approach channel to a port.
Charter Party Form Reference: Identification of the form, year, and clauses governing the port call.
Charterers Agent: Agent appointed by charterer to handle their interests at the port.
Class Surveyor Visit: Attendance of classification society surveyor coordinated by the agent.
Clear Lien Notice: Notification that liens on cargo or freight have been cleared, allowing release.
Clearing Agent: Firm handling customs clearance of cargo, often integrated with the port agent.
CMA CGM Agency Network: In-house agency offices of CMA CGM at the majority of ports it calls.
Coastal Voyage Agency: Agency services for short sea voyages between national ports.
Cofely Agency Services: Engineering and energy services historically branded Cofely with port-side support activities.
Combined Transport Agent: Agent handling multimodal cargo flows beyond the port call.
Commercial Hold: Restriction preventing cargo release until payment or documentation is received.
Compliance Pack: Bundle of certificates checked by the agent including ISM, ISPS, and class.
Condition Survey: Overall assessment of structural and machinery condition for insurance or sale.
Consortium Service Call: Port call performed under a liner consortium agreement with shared port representation.
Container Lashing Survey: Survey verifying lashing of containers prior to sailing.
Container Repair Coordination: Arrangement of container repairs in port through depot operators.
Container Stuffing Supervision: Agent supervision of container stuffing or stripping at port warehouses.
Contract Agency: Agent appointed under a long-term contract covering multiple calls or trades.
Contract of Carriage: Underlying transport contract affecting the agent's authority to issue or release documents.
Cooperative Network Agency: Independent agencies grouped under a brand such as Multiport or MASA.
Cosulich Group: Italian shipping group founded in Trieste in 1857 with port agency among its services.
Cotecna: A Swiss-headquartered inspection, testing, and certification company providing pre-shipment inspection and bulk cargo surveys across emerging markets.
Country Cluster Manager: Network role coordinating agency offices within a country group.
Crew Boat Transfer: Movement of crew between shore and vessel by launch, organized by the agent.
Crew Change Bubble: Sequenced movement of crew through hotel, transport, and immigration under controlled conditions.
Crew Change Coordinator: Agent role focusing solely on the logistics of joining and leaving crew.
Crew Change Hub: Port consistently used for crew rotations due to flight, immigration, and shore access conditions.
Crew Change Notice: Formal advice to port authorities and immigration of planned joiners and leavers.
Crew Disembarkation List: Document specifying which crew are leaving and where they will travel.
Crew Embarkation List: Document for joiners with passport, visa, and medical details.
Crew Hotel Booking: Reservation of hotel rooms for crew awaiting flights or joining the vessel.
Crew Logistics Package: Bundle of agency services covering travel, hotel, transport, and clearance.
Crew Mail Service: Forwarding of mail and parcels to vessel through the agent.
Crew Medical Coordination: Arrangement of clinic visits, dental treatment, and hospital admission for crew.
Crew Repatriation: Sign-off and return of the seafarers at the recycling port before dismantling begins.
Crew Sign-Off: Departure of seafarers from the vessel at the end of their contract.
Crew Sign-On: Joining of seafarers at the port, including immigration formalities.
Crew Transit Visa: Short stay visa allowing seafarers to pass through a country to join or leave a vessel.
CSA: Caribbean Shipping Association acting on regional liner and port matters.
CTM: Cash To Master, the cash supplied to the master for ship and crew needs.
Customs Clearance Inward: Formal release of vessel and cargo on arrival by customs.
Customs Clearance Outward: Authorization for the vessel to depart customs jurisdiction.
Customs Stores Declaration: Declaration of bonded and consumable stores upon arrival.
CWA: Independent marine and cargo surveyor brand operating in selected markets.
Cyclone Standby Plan: Contingency plan for severe weather, advised by the agent in tropical ports.

D

Daily Status Report: Communication by the agent summarizing operations and forecast for the day.
Damage Report Filing: Submission of damage notices to relevant parties, organized by the agent.
Demurrage Counter Notice: Statement countering demurrage claims, supported by Statement of Facts.
Departure Conditions: Recorded vessel state on sailing including draft, ROB, and crew numbers.
Departure Draft Survey: Final draft survey after loading or discharge.
Departure Formalities: Outbound customs, immigration, and port clearance, completed by the agent.
Deratting Exemption Certificate: Now succeeded by Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate.
Despatch money: Sum payable by owners to charterers for laytime saved.
Detention Notice: Document raised when port authority detains the vessel.
Disbursement Account: Statement of port expenses presented by the agent.
Disbursement Audit: Review of agency disbursements by principal or independent firm.
Disbursement Funds Account: Bank account holding principal funds for port expenses.
Disbursement Variance Report: Comparison of estimated and final port costs item by item.
Discharge Operation Plan: Document showing planned discharge sequence, often agreed with terminal.
Discrepancy Report: Statement of differences between bill of lading and actual cargo, prepared with surveyors.
Dispatch Letter: Letter of authority from principal allowing the agent to release cargo.
Diving Inspection Coordination: Arrangement of underwater hull inspection through approved diving firms.
Dock Receipt: A document issued by a terminal acknowledging receipt of cargo, often a precursor to issuance of a bill of lading.
Document Management Service: ISS and other agencies' service to digitize and route ship documents.
Document Set: Bundle of arrival or departure documents prepared by the agent.
Documentary Credit Compliance: Verification that shipping documents conform to letter of credit terms.
Domestic Voyage Agent: Agent handling vessels engaged solely in domestic trades.
Draft Forwarding: Transmission of draft documents for review before signing.
Draft survey: Cargo weight determination by hydrostatic calculation.
Draft Survey Calculation Sheet: Worksheet recording soundings, hydrometer readings, and corrections.
Drinking Water Quality Test: Sampling and testing of potable water supplied at berth.
Dry Bulk Agency Specialist: Agency unit focused on dry bulk carriers and their husbandry needs.
Dry Dock Agent: Agent dedicated to vessels entering yards for repair or survey.
Dual Agency Appointment: Appointment of separate agents by owner and charterer at the same port.

E

ECASBA: European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents handling EU policy work.
Electronic NOR: Notice of Readiness tendered electronically and timestamped by the agent.
Eltvedt Petroleum Services: Norwegian firm offering services in the oil and shipping sector.
Embarkation Visa: Visa allowing a seafarer to enter the country to join a vessel.
Emergency Disembarkation: Urgent removal of crew due to medical or safety reasons.
Emergency Husbandry Services: Out-of-hours services for vessels in distress or with urgent needs.
End of Sea Passage Report: Status report at the end of the sea passage to coordinate berth booking.
Entry Inwards: Customs declaration on vessel arrival, lodged by the agent.
Entry Outwards: Customs declaration when applying for clearance to sail.
Escort Tug Order: Booking of escort tugs through the agent for restricted waterway transit.
ETA Notice: Estimated time of arrival communicated by master through the agent.
ETA Update: Revised ETA issued as the voyage progresses.
ETC: Estimated Time of Completion of cargo operations issued by the agent.
ETD: Estimated time of departure.
Evergreen Marine Corp Agency: In-house and contracted agency network of Evergreen at calling ports.
Excess Disbursement: Costs above the pro forma estimate, requiring explanation and reimbursement.
Exchange Loss on Disbursement: Difference arising from currency fluctuation between funding and settlement.
Exit Permit for Crew: Document allowing departing seafarers to leave the country.
Expedited Crew Change: Crew rotation completed with priority handling at immigration and transport.
Expedited Documentation: Fast track preparation of bills of lading and manifests where required.
Export Declaration Filing: Lodging of export declarations with customs by the agent.
Extended Stay Husbandry: Additional services for vessels held in port beyond the planned window.

F

Family Crew Visit: Visit arranged for crew family members during port stay.
FDA: Final Disbursement Account showing actual costs incurred during the port call.
Federal Maritime Commission Filing: US filing obligations sometimes coordinated by agents for liner operators.
Final Statement of Facts: Signed version of the Statement of Facts agreed by master, agent, and terminal.
Fixed Fee Agency: Agency arrangement with a fixed fee covering routine port call services.
Fixture Note Reference: Charter party fixture reference used in agency appointment.
Flag-State Notification: Diplomatic procedure under UNCLOS by which cable repair vessels notify coastal states before operating in their EEZ.
Flight Booking Coordination: Reservation of crew flights through the agency's travel desk.
Floating Storage Operations Support: Agency services to vessels operating as floating storage units.
FONASBA: Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents based in London.
FONASBA Quality Standard: Voluntary quality scheme for member agents and brokers.
FONASBA Standard Agency Agreement: Model agency contract published by FONASBA.
Force Majeure Notification: Communication declaring force majeure events affecting the port call.
Foreign Currency Disbursement: Settlement of port expenses in foreign currency, with corresponding statement.
Free pratique: Permission to use a port after sanitary clearance.
Free Time at Berth: Time included in the berth booking before additional charges apply.
Freight Tax Clearance: Tax clearance required in some jurisdictions before vessel departure.
Freight Tax Filing: Agency-assisted filing of withholding tax on freight revenue.
Fresh Water Supply Order: Order placed by the agent for potable water delivery to the vessel.
Freshwater Barge Service: Delivery of water by barge to vessels at anchor.
Fuel Oil Stem Confirmation: Confirmation of the bunker stem prior to the call.
Fujairah Anchorage: Indian Ocean anchorage off Fujairah where most Persian Gulf bound bunkering takes place.
Full Husbandry Call: Port call dedicated to crew change, stores, spares, and repairs.
Funds Acknowledgment: Confirmation by the agent of receipt of funds from the principal.

G

GAC Group: Gulf Agency Company, a global shipping, logistics, and marine services group founded in Kuwait in 1956.
GAC Hub Services: GAC offerings at bunker and crew change hubs across the Middle East and Asia.
GAC Husbandry Services: GAC Group's bundled crew and supply services for visiting vessels.
GAC Port Agency: GAC's port call agency network across multiple regions.
GAC Shipping Services: Broader shipping services line of GAC including agency and project work.
Gangway Watch Coordination: Agreement between agent, vessel, and security firm on gangway monitoring.
Garbage Management Plan Liaison: Agency liaison with reception facilities for MARPOL Annex V residues.
Garbage Receipt: Receipt issued by reception facility for waste landed under MARPOL Annex V.
Gard: The Norwegian-headquartered Assuranceforeningen Gard, an International Group P&I club founded in 1907, also writing energy and marine liability lines.
GENCON 1994: BIMCO uniform general charter, the most widely used dry bulk voyage form.
General Average Notice: Notice issued in general average events, supported by the agent at the port.
General Cargo Agency: Agency unit handling multipurpose and breakbulk vessels.
GHS Compliant Documentation: Documentation prepared in line with the Globally Harmonized System for chemicals.
GMS: One of the largest international cash buyers of end-of-life vessels, headquartered in Dubai with offices in Hamburg, New York, and Singapore.
Going-Off-Hire Survey: Survey marking the end of a time charter to assess vessel condition.