Term

Meaning and context of use

Flags of convenience

Every ship carries a flag representing the country at which it is registered. In the past, ships could only register with their national registries. For purpose of convenience, some countries opened their registration to ships from other nations. The attraction of this change is that it enabled ship owners to trade under less stringent trading conditions and choose labour from the global labour pool, as opposed to being limited to domestic labour. These become registries of convenience and the ships flying these flags were known to be flying flags of convenience.

Officers

Ships officers navigate and supervise the safe operation of ships at sea. In port or at anchor. They coordinate the activities of the crew and control cargo stowage, loading and unloading operations. They are normally deck officers or engineering officers.

Registry (closed)

Where a country only permits its citizens to fly its flag, this is known as a closed registry. Ships registered under a closed registry system are bound by domestic labour laws and are only permitted to use domestic labour, regardless of how costly or inefficient this labour is.

Registry (open)

Where a country permits ships from other countries to fly its flag. These ship-owners may choose labour from the global labour market and are usually bound by less stringent laws and provisions.

Ratings

Merchant navy ratings assist in the running of their ships and assist in the deck, engineering, and catering departments. their work depends on the department in which they work. Due to increased automation and smaller staff, ratings will perform multiple tasks within a particular role.

Seafarers

A person who is employed to serve aboard any type of marine vessel.