Glossary of maritime terms - N
NATIONAL FLAG - The flag carried by a ship to show her nationality.
NEOBULK - Shipments consisting entirely of units of a single commodity, such as
cars, lumber, or scrap metal.
NET CAPACITY - The number of tons of cargo which a vessel can carry when loaded in salt water to her summer freeboard marks. Also called cargo carrying capacity, cargo deadweight, useful deadweight.
NET TONNAGE - Equals gross tonnage minus deductions for space occupied by crew accommodations, machinery, navigation equipment and bunkers. It represents space available for cargo (and passengers). Canal tolls are based on net (registered) tonnage.
NON-CONFERENCE LINE - A shipping line which operates on a route served by a liner conference but which is not a member of that conference.
NON-LINER SERVICE - A shipping service that does not operate to a fixed itinerary or regular schedule. Someone once compared a non-liner service to a taxi service, going here, going there, anywhere to pick up a farefreight, whereas a Liner Service is like a bus service travelling to regular stops at regular times and on a regular turnaround route. See also Liner Service.
NORSKE VERITAS - Norwegian classification society.
NPA - National Ports Authority of South Africa
NRT - Net registered tons. This tonnage is frequently shown on ship registration papers; it represents the volumetric area available for cargo at 100 cubic feet = 1 ton. It often is used by port and canal authorities as a basis for charges.
NSRI - National Sea Rescue Institute.
NVO - Non-vessel-operating common carrier, a ships agent, conducts business for
the ship but does not operate the vessel.
NVOCC - Non Vessel Operating (Common) Container Carriers - a carrier issuing bills of lading for carriage of goods on vessels that he neither owns nor operates. |A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z|