Are you looking for the meaning of a certain nautical word or term that begins with the letter P? If so, we have you covered! This blog post is one in a series of articles in which we cover maritime acronyms, words and phrases that start with every letter of the alphabet.
So if you’ve ever wondered what a parcel tanker is, what a maritime pilot does, or what a platform supply vessel is, keep reading.
Read more: Nautical Terms that Begin with the Letters U, V and W
Nautical terms that begin with the letter P
Painter
Painter is the name of the bow line by which a tender boat or a dinghy is moored or towed by.
Panamax Vessel
Panamax is a term used to denote the size of a vessel that has been designed to be just small enough to be able to transit the Panama Canal. A Panamax vessel can be a container ship, bulk carrier, warship, or passenger ship.
Parcel Tanker
A parcel tanker is a type of tanker that is specially designed to carry a variety of different liquids at one time. These could be chemicals, or liquids that come in different grades, such as petroleum.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter A
PCC
PCC stands for pure car carrier - a cargo ship which mainly transports new cars.
PCTC
PCTC stands for pure car and truck carrier - a cargo ship which mainly transports new vehicles of any description.
Pier
In maritime terms, a pier is a manmade structure which juts out from land into a waterway. Piers are used for mooring vessels and cargo handling.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter B
Pilot
A Marine Pilot is someone with a deep knowledge of a certain area of a waterway, such as the entrance and exit to a port or harbor.
They are licensed navigational guides who are brought onboard by means of a pilot boat to help guide a vessel through difficult locations and uniquely local conditions.
Pilot House
A Marine Pilot controls the vessel from the pilot house which is an enclosed space on the bridge.
Pilotage
Pilotage is the act of piloting a vessel - see pilot above.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter C
Pilotage Dues
The pilotage dues are the fee paid by a ship's owner or operator for the services of a pilot. The fee is usually worked out in accordance with the vessel's tonnage.
Platform Supply Vessel
Often shortened to PSV, a platform supply vessel is a vessel that is designed to carry supplies to offshore oil and gas drilling units or installations.
Plimsoll Line
Also called the load line, the Plimsoll line is a physical marking on a ship's hull that indicates the maximum depth to which that vessel can sink when loaded with cargo.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter D
Port
A port is the place where ships dock as well as a general term for the port authority or agency which oversees the use of a public harbor or wharf, as well as properties at that port.
Port-of-Call
As the name suggests, a port-of-call is a port at which a cruise ship or liner makes a scheduled stop on its voyage.
Occasionally also referred to as destination port or transit port, a call itself can last anywhere from five to 24 hours long, allowing passengers to disembark and explore the local area.
Portside
Or more commonly just called port, this refers to the left hand side of a vessel facing forwards. At night the portside of a ship is identified by a red light.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters E & F
Post-Panamax Vessel
A Post-Panamax vessel is a vessel that is too large to transit the Panama Canal. (See Panamax vessel above.)
Products Tanker
A products tanker is a tanker that has been designed to carry refined oil and petroleum products in bulk.
Project Cargo
Project cargo is a term used to refer to cargo that consists of the equipment and materials needed to assemble a project. This project could be anything from a bridge to a factory to an oil rig.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters G, H & I
Propane Carrier
A propane carrier is a vessel that has been designed to carry propane in liquid form. Propane carriers are also used to transport butane
Propeller
The propeller on a boat or ship is a type of rotating fan which uses the power generated and transmitted by the main engine to propel the vessel.
Propeller Hub
The propeller hub (also called boss hub), is the central portion of a screw propeller to which the blades are attached and through which the propeller shaft end passes.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters J, K & L
PSV
PSV is short for platform supply vessel - vessels that are designed to carry supplies to offshore oil and gas drilling units or installations.
Pumpman
A Pumpman is an unlicensed seafarer (a rating) who works almost exclusively on tankers. Their main responsibility is ensuring the safe and correct operation of the vessel’s liquid cargo transfer system.
Pure Car and Truck Carrier
A pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) is a cargo ship which mainly transports new vehicles of any description.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter M
Pure Car Carrier
A pure car carrier (PCC) is a cargo ship which mainly transports new cars.
Purser
Most commonly referred to as the Hotel Manager on the majority of cruise ships these days the Purser is a ship’s officer who is in charge of accounts - most commonly on a passenger ship.
Pusher
A pusher, also called a pusher tug, towboat, or pusher boat, is a small but strong boat with a snub-nose shaped hull that is used to push barges in, out and around harbors.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter S
Smaller pushers are usually limited to pushing one or two barges, while larger boats (also known as a lone boat) can push anywhere from five barges up to forty.
Pusher Boat
A pusher boat, also called a pusher, pusher tug, or towboat, is a small but strong boat with a snub-nose shaped hull that is used to push barges in, out and around harbors.
Smaller pusher boats are usually limited to pushing one or two barges, while larger boats (also known as a lone boat) can push anywhere from five barges up to forty.
Pusher Tug
A pusher tug, also called a pusher, towboat, or pusher boat, is a small but strong boat with a snub-nose shaped hull that is used to push barges in, out and around harbors.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letter T
Smaller pusher tugs are usually limited to pushing one or two barges, while larger boats (also known as a lone boat) can push anywhere from five barges up to forty.
And there you have it: a collection of maritime and nautical terms and words that all begin with the letter P. Have we missed anything? Why not let us know on social media if so and we’ll try and add your suggestions to an update of this post.
Read more: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters X, Y and Z
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Read the previous article in this series: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters N & O
Read the next article in this series: Nautical Terms That Begin with the Letters Q & R
Eve Church
Eve is Martide's content writer, publishing regular posts on everything from our maritime recruitment and crew planning software to life at sea. Eve has been writing professionally for more than two decades, crafting everything from SEO-focused blog posts and website landing pages to magazine articles and corporate whitepapers.
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