Glossary of maritime terminology

In shipping terms, the galley is the term given to the kitchen on a vessel of any type and size. (As well as on an airplane or train.) It is the area where food and drink are prepared and cooked and is managed by the ship's Chief Cook.

Galley equipment on a ship refers to various kitchen appliances and equipment - the term for a kitchen on a vessel being the galley. This includes anything and everything the ship’s cook and other galley staff need to perform their duties from plates, cutlery, cups and saucepans to ovens, hobs and combination units, sinks and drainers, and fridges and freezers.

Gang is maritime terminology for a group of people or a team who work in a port, terminal or harbor. It is most commonly used to refer to stevedores / longshoremen / dock workers.

In maritime terms, a gangway is a narrow, sloping portable platform used as a passageway so that passengers, crew and other personnel can board and disembark a vessel that is moored alongside a dock, quay or pier. 

A gantry crane (also known as a container crane, ship-to-shore crane, or container handling gantry crane) is a large overhead track-mounted crane positioned dockside and found at container terminals. It is used for loading and unloading shipping containers from container ships.

A gas carrier or gas tanker is a vessel that has been specifically designed for the transportation of gasses that have been condensed / liquified. The most commonly transported gasses are Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which includes propane and butane, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which is mainly methane, as well as ethylene and ammonia.

Also known as a self-unloading vessel or a self-geared ship, a geared vessel is a ship that has its own onboard gear - i.e. cranes. This means that the vessel can load and unload cargo, including containers, without portside assistance thus making the vessel more versatile as it can dock in more ports.

General cargo is a freight term and consists of both breakbulk cargo (cargo that cannot fit into a standard shipping container and is therefore transported in boxes, bags, drums, crates, and barrels etc.) and containerized cargo.

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a ship radio station that is an internationally recognized radio communication system. GMDSS has been used now for a number of decades and is an automated ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship system that uses satellites and/or terrestrial radio systems with digital selective calling technology.

GMDSS stands for Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. It is a ship radio station that is an internationally recognized radio communication system. GMDSS has been used now for a number of decades and is an automated ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship system that uses satellites and/or terrestrial radio systems with digital selective calling technology.

Golf stands for the letter G in the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, which is most often referred to as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet or simply the Phonetic Alphabet. This is the most commonly used group of code words used to clearly communicate the letters of the Roman alphabet, particularly over the radio and is essential in helping seafarers give and receive messages, orders and instructions clearly and correctly.

A gong buoy is a buoy that is fitted with gongs that are struck by hammers as the buoy moves with the motion of the water.

A guard rail is a metal rail that is fitted around a boat to prevent the crew or passengers from falling overboard.

A gyro compass on a ship is a type of gyroscope used by the navigator to find true north, as opposed to magnetic north which a regular compass will locate. For this reason, the non-magnetic gyro compass is usually located in the ship’s wheelhouse where it will be as close as possible to the center of the roll and pitch as this will minimize any errors caused by the vessel’s motion.

A gyro compass consists of an electrically-powered gyroscope wheel and uses frictional forces, gravitational influences and the rotation of Earth to pinpoint true north.