Glossary of Marine Terms
B
ballast
any substance, other than cargo, which is usually placed in the inner compartment of a vessel to produce a desired draft or trim.
bareboat charter - (demise charter)
a form of vessel rental in which the charterer assumes total responsibility for the vessel and its operations as if it were his own.
basic oxygen furnace
the process of manufacturing steel in this type of furnace is called the basic oxygen process and is the most efficient method of producing low and medium carbon and low and medium alloy steels. in this process high purity oxygen is blown onto the surface of a bath of molten iron contained in a basic lined and ladle shaped vessel. the melting cycle duration is extremely short with quality comparable to open hearth steel.
basic process
a steel making process either basic oxygen, open hearth or electric in which the furnace is lined with a basic refractory. a slag, rich in lime, being formed and phosphorous removed.
beam
the breadth of a vessel.
bell suction
the flared open end of a cargo pipeline which is situated at close tolerances to the bottom of a liquid cargo tank.
bilge
the lower inner space of a vessel’s hull.
bilgevap
an innovative device for evaporating bilge water, contains no moving parts, known to be “bubba-proof” See BilgeVAP.
billet
a solid semi-finished round or square product that has been hot worked by forging, rolling or extrusion. an iron or steel billet has a minimum width or thickness of 11~! inches and the cross-sectional area varies from 21/4 to 36 square inches.
bioremediation agents
means microbiological cultures, enzyme additives, or nutrient additives that are deliberately introduced into an oil discharge and that will significantly increase the rate of biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.
bitt (bollard or timberhead)
a single or double post on a vessel or wharf to which lines are tied.
blast furnace
a vertical shaft type furnace used for reducing iron ore to pig iron when cast or hot metal for further melting. this product is used in an open hearth or basic oxygen furnaces for production of steel.
bloom
generally a rolled product from an ingot generally greater than 36 square inches in area. this is generally considered the first operation in the production of bars or structurals.
bollard pull
the static pulling force of a tugboat measured in pounds.
bow
the forward or front end of a vessel.
bridle
a V-shaped chain, wire, or rope attached to a vessel being towed to which the towline is connected.
bulkhead
an upright partition separating compartments.
bulwark
the side of a vessel which extends above the upper deck.
buoy
a stationary floating object used as an aid for navigation.
burning agents
means those additives that, through physical or chemical means, improve the combustibility of the materials to which they are applied.
