The International Harbour Masters’ Association (IHMA) is delighted to have participated in the development of functional definitions for port information describing the ship’s stay in port. Accurate and reliable port information will enhance the safety, efficiency and sustainability of ports and shipping across the world and benefit local, national and international economies.

This initiative’s priority is to improve communications between ships and ports using clear and authoritative definitions for the various terms used in daily operations. The definitions have been sourced from existing standards within the shipping industry. Only when no applicable definition could be found was a new one introduced and published via the glossary of the UKHO’s Mariners
Handbook (NP100). These definitions have been collated in an intermediate document and will be incorporated in the next version of the Mariners Handbook (NP100) to be published in August 2018. The Port of Rotterdam will begin using these definitions in 2017.

IHMA’s President, Capt. Kevin Richardson: ‘Harbour Masters recognise the huge value of agreeing and promulgating definitions that will make the ship’s stay in port safer and more efficient. We applaud the efforts of all organisations that have worked co-operatively on this important project which will have long-term value for ports around the world.’