Glossary of Marine Terms
S
scale
a complex iron oxide formed on the steel surface during the hot rolling operation or formed on steel parts which are heat treated in the presence of oxygen. scleroscope
see hardness tests.
scow
another term for a deck cargo barge having a hull design of a flat bottom, square ended rakes, and usually with a deck cargo bin.
scrap
material unsuitable for direct use but usable for reprocessing by remelting.
scum
floating organic debris. See floating weir skimmer.
scupper
a drainage opening cut flush with the deck of a vessel through the bulwark or bin wall.
seaworthy
the reasonably staunch, sound, and fit condition describing a vessel’s capability to safely carry its cargo and complete its intended voyage or use.
segregation
pertaining to chemical segregation which occurs during the solidification of the molten steel in the ingot mold. rimmed and capped steels are considered to have high levels of segregation; semi-killed steels intermediate segregation; and, killed steels the minimum amount.
semi-integrated barge
a barge which is raked at one end and boxed at the other end.
semikilled steel
a commonly used grade of steel manufactured for low carbon bars and structurals. a steel is considered semi killed when it is produced so that it is incompletely deoxidized and it contains sufficient dissolved oxygen to react with the carbon to form carbon monoxide to offset solidification shrinkage in the ingot.
sheer
the upward curvature or angle of a vessel’s deck at the bow or stern.
sheet steel
either hot or cold rolled sheets produced on continuous sheet mill where the minimum width produced is 24”. sheet coils when slit to narrower widths is called slit sheet.
shifting
the short movement or transfer of a vessel within a harbor or mooring area.
shot blasting
cleaning surface of metal by air blast, using metal shot as an abrasive.
sinking agents
means those additives applied to oil discharges to sink floating pollutants below the water surface.
size classes of discharges
refers to the following size classes of oil discharges which are provided as guidance to the OSC and serve as the criteria for the actions delineated in subpart D. They are not meant to imply associated degrees of hazard to public health or welfare, nor are they a measure of environmental injury. Any oil discharge that poses a substantial threat to public health or welfare or the environment or results in significant public concern shall be classified as a major discharge regardless of the following quantitative measures:
- Minor discharge means a discharge in inland waters of less than 1,000 gallons of oil or a discharge to the coastal waters of less than 10,000 gallons of oil.
- Medium discharge means a discharge of 1,000 to 10,000 gallons of oil to the inland waters or a discharge of 10,000 to 100,000 gallons of oil to the coastal waters.
- Major discharge means a discharge of more than 10,000 gallons of oil to the inland waters or more than 100,000 gallons of oil to the coastal waters.
skeg (skag)
a framed steel plate structure which acts as a fixed rudder under the stern rake of a barge; also, the after part extension of a boat’s keel upon which the rudder rests.
skimmer
a device for removing floating oil. See oil skimmers.
slab
a semi finished steel product intermediate between ingot and plate, with the width at least twice the thickness for rolling down into plates or sheets.
slopesheet
the sloped vertical steel plate forming the end of the hopper barge cargo compartment and which is part of the rake bulkhead.
solid solution
many metals possess the ability to dissolve certain other elements in the solid state forming solid solutions which in many ways are analogous to ordinary liquid solutions. in the case of steel the solid solution is called austinite.
solution heat treatment
heating an alloy to a suitable temperature, holding at the temperature long enough to allow one or more constituents to enter into solid solution and then cooling rapidly enough to hold the constituents in solution. the alloy is left in a supersaturated, unstable state and may subsequently exhibit quench aging.
SOPEP
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan; a U.S.C.G. approved set of guidelines for responding to a spill or potential spill of oil from all U.S. flag oil tankers of 150 gross tons and above, as mandated in Regulation 21 of Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78).
sorbents
means essentially inert and insoluble materials that are used to remove oil and hazardous substances from water through adsorption, in which the oil or hazardous substance is attracted to the sorbent surface and then adheres to it, absorption, in which the oil or hazardous substance penetrates the pores of the sorbent material, or a combination of the two. Sorbents are generally manufactured in particulate form for spreading over an oil slick or as sheets, rolls, pillows, or booms. The sorbent material may consist of, but is not limited to, the following materials:
- Organic products -
- Peat moss or straw;
- Cellulose fibers or cork;
- Corn cobs;
- Chicken or duck feathers
- Mineral compounds -
- Volcanic ash or perlite;
- Vermiculite or zeolite.
- Synthetic products -
- Polypropylene;
- Polyethylene;
- Polyurethane;
- Polyester.
spark testing
this is an inspection method for quickly determining the approximate analyst of steel. it is intended primarily for the separation of mixed steel and when properly conducted, is a fast, accurate and economical method of separation. it consists in holding the sample against a high speed grinding wheel and noting the character and color of the spark which is compared with samples of known analysis.
specified ports and harbors
means those ports and harbor areas on inland rivers, and land areas immediately adjacent to those waters, where the USCG acts as predesignated on-scene coordinator. Precise locations are determined by EPA/USCG regional agreements and identified in federal regional contingency plans and area contingency plans.
spill of national significance (SONS)
means a spill which due to its severity, size, location, actual or potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of federal, state, local, and responsible party resources to contain and cleanup the discharge.
sponson
an addition to the side of a vessel that is outside its normal hull and which provides added deck space and/or greater flotation stability.
spud
a steel or wooden post or pile that is placed vertically through a well in the hull of a vessel and which, when lowered to the bottom of the waterway, anchors the vessel.
spudwell
a casing which is attached to or passes through the hull of a vessel through which a spud is raised or lowered.
stainless steel
corrosion resistant steel of a wide variety, but always containing a high percentage of chromium. the minimum chromium content is considered at 11% for stainless steel, although lesser amounts of chromium are found in stainless products such as those used for automobile mufflers. stainless steels have the properties of being highly resistant to corrosion attack by organic acids, weak mineral acids, atmospheric corrosion, etc. some standard grades of stainless steel also have 3.5 to 22% of nickel which further increases resistance to chemical and atmospheric corrosion.
starboard
the right-hand side of a vessel when facing forward.
state
means the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and any other territory or possession over which the United States has jurisdiction. For purposes of the NCP, the term includes Indian tribes as defined in the NCP except where specifically noted.
steamboat ratchet
a sleeve, internally threaded at the ends & with attached eye-rods, equipped with a ratchet used to turn the sleeve, thereby pulling the rods toward each other.
steel
an iron-base alloy, malleable in same temperature range as initially cast, and containing carbon in amounts greater than .05% and less than about 2.00%. other alloying elements may be present in significant quantities, but all steels contain at least small amounts of manganese and silicon.
stem
the main vertical structural member which forms the foremost part of a boat’s model bow.
stern
the after or rear end of a vessel.
sternlog
the reinforced, vertical shell plating which connects the stern rake bottom to the rake deck of a barge.
strain
deformation produced on a body by an outside force.
strake
a longitudinal or transverse row of steel hull plates.
strapping table
a chart used to convert readings of liquid levels in the tanks of a barge to volume measurements of that liquid.
strip steel (cold rolled)
a flat cold rolled steel product rolled to widths 2316/16” and narrower, under .250” in thickness, which has been cold reduced to desired decimal thickness and temper on single stand, single stand reversing, or tandem cold mills in coil form from coiled hot rolled pickled strip steel.
strongback
the bar in a centerbolt manhole cover assembly which is drawn up against the manhole ring to pull the cover down tight.
superstructure
the structural part of a boat above the main deck.
surface collecting agents
means those chemical agents that form a surface film to control the layer thickness of oil.
surface washing
agent is any product that removes oil from solid surfaces, such as beaches and rocks, through a detergency mechanism and does not involve dispersing or solubilizing the oil into the water column.
survey
a critical examination or inspection of a vessel, cargo, or marine structure for the purpose of ascertaining desired facts and conclusions when necessary.
survey, condition
a survey that determines in some detail the specific condition of a vessel or of cargo; usually performed at the commencement or termination of charters or voyages for the agreed mutual benefit of various parties.
survey, damage
a survey that determines the exact extent of damages incurred and specifies repair requirements.
survey report
the written evidence of the survey.
survey, trip and tow
a survey in which the surveyor has full responsibility for inspecting and approving the suitability of the towing vessel, its gear and its tow, the loading and lashing of the cargo, and the navigational procedures, all in relation to the trip intended.
surveyor
a qualified marine inspector who performs surveys.
