Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

US Inland Waterway Towing and Barge glossary (page 2)

The US inland-towing vocabulary: the ABS River Rules for inland hulls, the named locks and waterways (the Tennessee-Tombigbee, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway), the western-rivers towing terms, and the tank-barge and tow-configuration terms. Grounds each term in the inland-waterway infrastructure or the towing-vessel rule it belongs to.

476 defined terms.

Showing 226 on this page (page 2 of 2).

L

Lock and Dam 14: The Upper Mississippi River lock at LeClaire, Iowa.
Lock and Dam 15: The Upper Mississippi River lock at Davenport, Iowa.
Lock and Dam 2: The Upper Mississippi River lock at Hastings, Minnesota.
Lock and Dam 22: The Upper Mississippi River lock in the Hannibal, Missouri area.
Lock and Dam 24: The Upper Mississippi River lock at Clarksville, Missouri.
Lock and Dam 25: The Upper Mississippi River lock at Winfield, Missouri.
Lock and Dam 26: The former Upper Mississippi River structure replaced by the Melvin Price Locks and Dam at Alton, Illinois.
Lock and Dam 27: The Mississippi River lock complex at the lower end of the Chain of Rocks Canal near St. Louis.
Lock and Dam 3: The Upper Mississippi River lock near Welch, Minnesota.
Lock and Dam 4: The Upper Mississippi River lock at Alma, Wisconsin.
Lock and Dam 5: The Upper Mississippi River lock near Minneiska, Minnesota.
Lock and Dam 5A: The Upper Mississippi River lock near Winona, Minnesota.
Lock and Dam 8: The Upper Mississippi River lock near Genoa, Wisconsin.
Lock and Dam 9: The Upper Mississippi River lock near Lynxville, Wisconsin.
Lock Approach: The reach of river immediately upstream or downstream of a lock used for queueing.
Lock Chamber: Enclosed basin of a lock between gates.
Lock Gates: The miter, sector or tainter gates that close the chamber for lockage.
Lock Master: The USACE employee in charge of operating a lock.
Lock Queue: The sequence of tows awaiting lockage at a given structure.
Lock Wall: The concrete or stone wall forming the side of a lock chamber.
Lockage: A single passage of a vessel or tow through a lock.
Loop Tow: A tow configured to make a circuit of multiple loading and discharge points.
Louisville: The Kentucky city on the Ohio River served by the McAlpine Locks and Dam.
Lower Mississippi River: The Mississippi River below the confluence with the Ohio at Cairo, Illinois.
Lynxville: A Wisconsin town on the Upper Mississippi River adjacent to Lock and Dam 9.

M

Magnolia Marine Transport: A Vicksburg, Mississippi inland tank barge operator carrying chemicals and refined products.
Main Chamber: The larger of the lock chambers at a US Army Corps of Engineers navigation structure, typically 1,200 by 110 feet on the Upper Mississippi River.
Marine Casualty Report: The USCG Form CG-2692 report submitted following a reportable marine incident.
Marine Investigation: The USCG inquiry conducted after a serious marine casualty.
Marker Light: A lighted aid to navigation on a buoy, dolphin or bridge.
Markland Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in Indiana and Kentucky.
Marquette Transportation Company: A Paducah, Kentucky inland operator founded in 1978 with dry, liquid and offshore operating units.
Master: Captain of the vessel.
Master of Towing Vessels: The USCG license required to serve as captain of an inspected towing vessel.
Mate: Deck officer subordinate to the master.
McAlpine Locks and Dam: The Ohio River navigation structure at Louisville, Kentucky bypassing the Falls of the Ohio.
McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: The US Army Corps of Engineers system of locks and dams extending navigation on the Arkansas River to Catoosa, Oklahoma.
Meldahl Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in Ohio and Kentucky.
Melvin Price Locks and Dam: The Upper Mississippi River navigation structure at Alton, Illinois that replaced the original Lock and Dam 26.
Memphis District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for a reach of the Lower Mississippi River.
Methanol Barge: An inland tank barge carrying methanol.
Midstream Transfer: The transfer of cargo between vessels at a designated anchorage rather than alongside a dock.
Mississippi River: 3,766 km navigable from the Gulf of Mexico to Minneapolis via the Upper Mississippi locks.
Missouri River: A Mississippi tributary navigable from its mouth near St. Louis upstream to Sioux City, Iowa under a non-locked system.
Miter Gate: A pair of lock gates that close in a shallow V pointing upstream.
Mobile District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for the Black Warrior-Tombigbee and Tennessee-Tombigbee systems.
Montgomery Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in Pennsylvania.
Mooring Bitt: A vertical post on a vessel or wharf for making fast lines.
Mooring Cell: A circular sheet-pile structure used for mooring barges or protecting bridges.
MV America: A 11,400 horsepower line-haul towboat operated by Kirby Inland Marine.
MV Mr. Henry Jr.: A towboat in the American Commercial Barge Line fleet.
MV Roy Ingram: A towboat in the Ingram Barge Company fleet.

N

Nashville: The Tennessee city on the Cumberland River and headquarters of Ingram Marine Group.
Nashville District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for the Cumberland and a portion of the Tennessee River.
Natchez: A Mississippi river city on the Lower Mississippi.
Navigable Water: A water body legally subject to federal navigation jurisdiction.
Navigation Pool: The reach of river maintained at a controlled elevation between locks and dams.
Navigation Season: The period of the year during which a navigation route is open for traffic, particularly relevant on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Waterway with winter ice closure.
New Cumberland Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in West Virginia.
New Orleans District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for the lowermost Mississippi River and adjacent GIWW.
Nickajack Lock: A Tennessee Valley Authority lock on the Tennessee River in Tennessee.
Nitrogen Pad: An inert gas blanket maintained over cargo in a tank barge.
Notch: The recess in the stern of an articulated tug barge into which the tug fits.
Notice to Navigation Interests: A USACE bulletin advising of lock outages, restrictions or other operational changes.

O

Ohio River: US navigable river of 981 miles with locks and dams managed by USACE.
Ohio River District: An informal reference to the USACE Lakes and Rivers Division districts that manage the Ohio.
Oil Pollution Act of 1990: US legislation enacted after Exxon Valdez establishing salvage and pollution response requirements.
Olmsted Locks and Dam: A modern Ohio River navigation structure that replaced Locks 52 and 53 near the mouth of the Ohio.
OPA 90: Oil Pollution Act 1990, US oil pollution liability statute.
Open Hopper Barge: A hopper barge without covers, used for weather-tolerant cargo such as coal and aggregates.
Open Top Barge: A general term for any barge without permanent covers over the cargo hold.
Operator: The entity exercising operational control of the vessel and holding the Document of Compliance under the ISM Code.
Ore Barge: An open hopper barge used to carry iron ore or scrap.
Outboard Profile: A drawing showing the external arrangement of a vessel.

P

Paducah: The Kentucky city at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, home to Marquette Transportation and Crounse Corporation.
Pass-Through: The completion of a single lockage from upstream approach to downstream departure or the reverse.
Pearl River: South China river system, with the Xi Jiang the principal navigable branch.
Petroleum Barge: A tank barge dedicated to carriage of crude oil or refined petroleum products.
Pickwick Lock: A Tennessee Valley Authority lock on the Tennessee River in Tennessee.
Pier: Berthing structure projecting from shore.
Pike Island Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in Ohio and West Virginia.
Pilot: Local navigation specialist who guides ships through restricted waters.
Pilothouse: The control station of a towing vessel.
Pittsburgh: The Pennsylvania city at the head of the Ohio River.
Pittsburgh District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for the upper Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela.
Pool: International Group of P&I Clubs Pooling Agreement, sharing claims between USD 10 million and USD 100 million among member clubs.
Port District: A regional port authority that may regulate fleeting and terminal operations.
Port side: Left side of the vessel.
Pre-OPA-90 Barge: A single-hull tank barge built before the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 phase-out schedule.
Pressurized Tank Barge: A barge with cargo tanks designed to carry liquefied gases such as anhydrous ammonia under pressure.
Project cargo: Heavy lift or oversized cargo for projects.
Project Depth: The depth a navigation channel is designed and maintained to provide.
Propeller: The screw that converts engine torque into thrust on a towboat.
Push Boat: See Pushboat.
Push Knees: See Knees.
Pushboat: A US inland towing vessel with a square stern, raked bow, push knees and twin or more screws designed to push tows of barges.

Q

Quad Cities: The Iowa-Illinois metropolitan area at and near Locks and Dam 15.
Quadruple-Screw Towboat: A pushboat with four propellers, typically a large line-haul boat exceeding 10,000 horsepower.
Quay: Solid berthing structure parallel to the shore.
Queue: The sequence of tows waiting for a lock or other resource.
Quick-Release Coupling: A mechanical fitting used to enable rapid release of barge wires or hawsers.

R

Rake Barge: A barge with a raked end at one or both ends, used as a lead or tail barge in a tow.
Rake End: The angled bow or stern of a hopper or tank barge.
RC Byrd Locks and Dam: The Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam on the Ohio River near Huntington, West Virginia.
Red Triangle: The shape of a red daymark used on US inland waterways to mark the right descending side of the channel.
Refined Products Barge: An inland tank barge carrying gasoline, diesel, jet fuel or other distillates.
Reflector: Curved surface of a parabolic antenna that focuses signals onto the feed.
Regulated Navigation Area: A USCG-designated area with special navigation restrictions.
Relief Crew: A second crew rotating with the working crew aboard a towing vessel.
Restricted visibility: Visibility reduced by fog, mist, rain, or other causes.
Revetment: A bank protection structure of articulated concrete mats or stone.
River Mile: US convention for linear distance along a river measured in statute miles.
River Stage: The water surface elevation at a gauge, reported in feet on local datums.
Roller Gate: A type of dam crest gate used on portions of the Upper Mississippi River.
Round Trip: A complete loaded and ballast cycle for a tow between two endpoints.
Rudder: Hinged blade aft used to steer.
Rules of the Road: The Inland Navigation Rules contained in 33 CFR Part 83 and the COLREGS where applicable.

S

Saverton Lock: An informal reference to the Lock and Dam 22 area near Saverton, Missouri on the Upper Mississippi.
SCF Marine: A St. Louis, Missouri inland dry cargo barge operator within the SEACOR Marine and former SEACOR Holdings family.
Scour: Localized erosion of the riverbed near structures.
Scour Hole: A depression in the riverbed caused by current acceleration around a pier or dam.
Scrap Metal Barge: An open hopper barge used for ferrous scrap movement.
Sea Cock: A through-hull valve, less common on barges than on towing vessels.
Sector Gate: Curved lock gate pivoting about a vertical axis, used at large lock heads.
Self-propelled Barge: Inland cargo vessel with its own propulsion, distinct from dumb barges.
Sextuple Configuration: An informal reference to a six-string tow arrangement.
Shoal: Shallow place.
Side Wire: A wire run along the side of a tow to maintain alignment.
Single-Hull Tank Barge: A pre-OPA 90 design with a single bottom and side plating, phased out of US inland petroleum service by 2015.
Single-Screw Towboat: A towboat with one propeller, generally limited to small fleet and harbor work.
Slack water: Brief period of no tidal current.
Slip: Allow to run; berth for a small craft.
Smithland Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in Kentucky and Illinois.
Soybean Barge: A covered hopper barge carrying soybeans, typically to Lower Mississippi River export elevators.
Soybean Hulls: A processing co-product moved in covered hoppers as livestock feed.
Soybean Meal: Group B self-heating; protein cargo.
SPAR: Deep-draft vertical cylindrical floater (classic, truss, cell).
Spud: A vertical steel beam dropped through a barge well into the riverbed to hold position.
Spud Barge: A barge fitted with spuds, used for dredging and construction.
St. Louis District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for a portion of the Middle Mississippi.
St. Paul District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for the uppermost Upper Mississippi.
Starboard Side: The right side of a vessel facing forward.
Steam Coil: A heat exchanger coil within a cargo tank for heating viscous cargoes.
Steerage Way: The minimum speed at which a vessel maintains steering control.
Steersman: An apprentice mate accumulating hours and assessments toward a USCG towing vessel license.
Stern Knees: See Knees.
Sternwheeler: A historic shallow-draft riverboat propelled by a single stern paddlewheel, preserved on US inland waters in heritage service.
Stevedore: Shore-based cargo handler.
Stone Barge: An open hopper barge carrying crushed stone or riprap.
Stringline: A longitudinal column of barges within a tow.
Stripping Pump: Pump removing last residues of cargo or ballast from tank bottoms.
Styrene Barge: An inland chemical tank barge carrying inhibited styrene monomer.
Subchapter M: The US Coast Guard towing vessel inspection regime codified at 46 CFR Subchapter M.
Sulfur Barge: A heated tank barge carrying molten elemental sulfur.
Superintendent: Buyers' or owners' technical representative attending inspection or delivery.

T

Tail Barge: The trailing barge in a tow.
Tainter Gate: A radial gate used at navigation dams to regulate discharge and pool level.
Tank Barge: Liquid cargo barge, US standard sizes including 297 ft by 54 ft by 12 ft of about 27,500 barrels capacity.
Tankerman: A licensed crewmember authorized to oversee cargo transfer on a tank barge.
Tariff: Carrier's published rates and charges; also customs duty schedule.
TBA: A terminal automation and simulation software supplier, source of the Cosmos terminal operating system family and TIMESQUARE emulation tools.
TCFD: An informal abbreviation occasionally used for tow company fleet dispatch; not a regulatory term.
Telemetry: Remote transmission of data from sensors.
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.
Terminal: A shoreside facility for loading or discharging barge cargo.
Three-Wide Tow: A tow configured three barges across and multiple barges long, the standard Upper Mississippi configuration.
Throttling Valve: A cargo manifold valve used to control loading or discharge rates.
Tier: Horizontal layer of containers in a stack, numbered 02, 04 upward on deck.
TOAR: Towing Officer Assessment Record, the USCG-approved document recording practical assessments for towing vessel officers.
Toby Wire: A coupling wire arrangement used at the tow face that holds barge units tightly together.
Tombigbee River: An Alabama river forming part of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway and the southern leg of the Tenn-Tom.
Tonnage: General term for the size or carrying capacity of a vessel.
Tow: Pull through the water.
Tow Knee: Padded steel projection on the bow of a US push boat for engaging barges.
Tow Light: A navigation light displayed by a tow to indicate its dimensions and arrangement.
Tow Master: Person in charge during rig moves and ocean tows.
Tow Size: The number and arrangement of barges in a tow, often expressed as rows by columns.
Tow Wire: A wire used to make up or extend a tow.
Towboat: US term for an inland vessel pushing barges.
Towing Hawser: A heavy synthetic or wire line used in coastwise or assist towage.
Towing Officer's Assessment Record: See TOAR.
Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau: A USCG-recognized third-party organization performing inspections under Subchapter M.
Traffic Pattern: An organized scheme for lockage or fleeting movements.
Transfer Procedure: A USCG-required written procedure governing cargo transfer between tank barges and shore facilities or vessels.
Triple-Screw Towboat: A pushboat with three propellers, common in the 6,000 to 9,000 horsepower range.
TVA: Tennessee Valley Authority, US federal corporation overseeing Tennessee River navigation and power.
Twin-Screw Towboat: A pushboat with two propellers, the most common inland configuration.
Two-Wide Tow: A tow configured two barges across, common in restricted waterways and on smaller rivers.

U

UAN: Urea Ammonium Nitrate solution, a liquid fertilizer carried in inland tank barges.
Ullage: Empty space above liquid cargo in a tank.
UMR: See Upper Mississippi River.
Underkeel Clearance: The vertical distance between a barge's keel and the riverbed.
Upper Mississippi River: The Mississippi River above the confluence with the Ohio at Cairo, extending to Minneapolis-St. Paul through a system of 29 locks and dams.
USACE: United States Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for federal navigation channels and locks.
USCG: United States Coast Guard, US flag and PSC authority.
USDA: US Department of Agriculture, whose Federal Grain Inspection Service grades and weighs grain barge cargoes.

V

Vapor Recovery: A system that returns cargo vapors from a tank barge to shore facilities during transfer.
VHF Channel 13: The bridge-to-bridge navigation safety radio channel monitored by US inland tows and lock masters.
VHF Channel 16: International distress, urgency and calling frequency monitored by ships and shore stations.
Vicksburg: A Mississippi city on the Lower Mississippi River and home of Magnolia Marine Transport.
Vicksburg District: The US Army Corps of Engineers district responsible for a reach of the Lower Mississippi River.
Voids: Empty spaces in cargo holds and CTUs that must be filled to prevent shifting of dangerous goods packages.
Voith Schneider: Cycloidal propeller for tugs and ferries.
Voyage Plan: Required under SOLAS V/34.

W

Waterways Commerce Cutter: A US Coast Guard cutter class designed for inland aids to navigation and waterway maintenance.
Welch: A Minnesota town on the Upper Mississippi River adjacent to Lock and Dam 3.
Western Rivers: US navigable waters of the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland systems with distinct rules.
Western Rivers Conference: An industry forum for US inland river operators.
Wheel Wash: The propeller race astern of a towboat.
Wheeler Lock: A Tennessee Valley Authority lock on the Tennessee River in Alabama.
Wheelhouse: Enclosed steering position.
Willow Island Locks and Dam: An Ohio River navigation structure in West Virginia and Ohio.
Wilson Lock: A Tennessee Valley Authority lock on the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals, Alabama with one of the tallest single lifts in the TVA system.
Winch: Powered drum for hauling on ropes or wires.
Wing Dam: A river training structure projecting from the bank to direct flow toward the channel.
Winona: A Minnesota town on the Upper Mississippi River adjacent to Lock and Dam 5A.
Wire: A steel rope used in barge coupling and tow makeup.
Wire Boat: A small towboat dedicated to barge fleeting and wire handling.

Y

Yard Boat: A small towboat employed in a barge yard or fleet for shifting work.
Yard Tow: A tow made up entirely within a fleeting area for local movement.
Yarding: The act of shifting barges within a fleeting area.
Yawl: Two-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel with small mizzen aft of the rudder post.

Z

Z-Drive Towboat: A towing vessel propelled by azimuthing thrusters arranged in a Z-drive configuration, used in increasing numbers in US harbor and fleet service.
Zone of Confluence: The reach of river near the junction of two waterways subject to combined current effects.
Zone System: An informal reference to the dispatcher zones used by some inland operators to manage equipment.