SMCP

STANDARD MARINE
COMMUNICATION
PHRASES

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 What is SMCP or Standard Marine
Communication Phrases ?
•Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP)
is a set of key phrases in the English language
which is the internationally recognised language
of the sea, supported by the international
community for use at sea and developed by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
 The origin of IMO SMCP
• IMO’s SMCP were adopted by the 22nd Assembly in November 2001 as
resolution A.918(22) IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• This resolution adopts the Standard Marine Communication Phrases and
recommends a wide circulation to all the prospective users and maritime
education authorities
• The IMO SMCP replace the Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary (SMNV)
adopted by IMO in 1977 ( and amended in 1985).
• IMO SMCP has been developed as a more comprehensive standardized safety
language taking into account changing conditions in modern seafaring and
covering all major safety – related verbal communication.
 What is the aim or purpose of IMO SMCP?
•The IMO SMCP includes phrases which have been developed to cover
the most important safety-related fields of verbal shore to ship (and
vice-versa), ship to ship and on board communications
•The aim is to get round the problem of language barriers at sea and
misunderstandings which can cause accidents
•Under the International Convention on Standards of Training ,
Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW).1978, as
amended , the ability to understand and use the SMCP is required for
the certification of officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships
of 500 gross tonnage or above
 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• Foul ( of anchor) –
Anchor has its own
cable twisted around it
• Flooding - Major or has fouled
uncontrolled flow of (entangled) an
seawater into the obstruction.
vessel.
• Foul (of propeller) – A
• Fire monitor – Fixed line, wire, net, etc., is
foam/powder/water wound round the
cannon shooting propeller.
fire-extinguishing
agents on tank deck,
manifold etc.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• General emergency
alarm- A sound signal of
seven short blasts and
one prolonged blast
given with the vessel’s
• Full speed – Highest sound system.
possible speed of a • Give way – To keep out
vessel. of the way of another
vessel
• Fumes – Often
harmful gas
produced by fires
chemicals, fuel, etc

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Cardinal points – The

four main points of the
compass: north, east,
• GMDSS – Global south and west.
Maritime Distress • Half cardinal points- The
and Safety System. four main points lying
between the cardinal
• (D) GPS – points: north east,
(Differential) Global south east, south west
(satellite) Positioning and north west
System.

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases

• Hampered vessel – A • Heading – The horizontal

vessel restricted by her direction of the vessels
ability to maneuver by bows at a given moment
the nature of her work measured in degrees
• Hatch rails- Ropes clockwise from north.
supported by • Hoist – Here a cable used
stanchions around an by helicopters for lifting
open hatch to prevent or lowering persons in a
persons from falling pick-up operation
into a hold (an upright
bar, post, or frame
forming a support or
barrier)

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases

• Icing- Coating of ice on an

object, e.g. the mast or • Inert (to)- To reduce the
superstructure of a vessel oxygen in a tank by inert
• IMO class – Group of gas to avoid an explosive
dangerous or hazardous goods, atmosphere.
harmful substances or marine
pollutants in sea transport as • Initial course – Course
classified in the International directed by the On-scene
Maritime Dangerous Goods coordinator or other
Code (IMDG Code authorized person to be
steered at the beginning of
a search.

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases
• Launch (to) – To lower
e.g. lifeboats to the
• Inoperative – Not water
functioning
• Leaking – Escape of
• Jettison (to) (of cargo) liquids such as water, oil,
- To throw goods etc., out of pipes, boilers,
overboard-in order to tanks etc or a minor
lighten the vessel or inflow of seawater into
improve its stability in the vessel due to damage
case of an emergency. to the hull

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Lifeboat station – Place

• Leeward – On or towards assigned to crew and
the sheltered side of a passengers to muster
ship; opposite of before being ordered into
windward the lifeboats
• Leeway – Vessel’s • List – here inclination of the
sideways drift leeward of vessel to port side or
the desired course. starboard side
• Let go (to )- To set free, • Located – In navigational
let loose or cast off (of
anchors, lines etc) warnings; position of object
confirmed

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Make water (to) To • Moor (to) – To secure a

have seawater vessel in a particular place
flowing into the by means of wires or ropes
vessel due to hull made fast to the shore, to
damage or hatches anchors, to anchored
awash and not mooring buoys, or to ride
with both anchors down
properly closed
• MMSI – Maritime
Mobile Service
Identity number.

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 • Muster (to) – To
Standard Marine Communication Phrases
assemble crew, passengers
or both in a special place
for purposes of checking
• MRCC – Maritime Rescue Obstruction - An object
Co-ordination Centre: such as a wreck, net, etc,
land-based authority which blocks a fairway,
responsible for route, etc.
promoting efficient • Off air - When the
organization of maritime transmissions of a radio
search and rescue and for station etc, have broken
coordinating the conduct down, been switched off or
of search and rescue suspended
operations within a
search and rescue region

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• Might
• Ambiguous Words:- • Do not say: “I might enter the
fairway”
• The conditionals “may”, “might”,
“should”, and “could” • Say: “INTENTION. I will
• May enter the fairway”.
• Do not say: “May I enter the •
fairway?” • Should
• Say: “QUESTION. Do I have • Do not say: “You should anchor
permission to enter the fairway?”
in anchorage B 3”
•
• Say: “ADVICE. Anchor in
• Do not say: “You may enter the anchorage B 3”
fairway”
• Say: “ANSWER. You have
permission to enter the fairway.” • Could
• Do not say: “You could be
running into danger”.
• Say: “WARNING. You are
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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• OSC – On- Scene

• Off station (of coordinator: A person
buoys)- Not in designated to
charted position co-ordinate search and
rescue operations within
• Oil clearance – Oil a specified area
skimming from the
surface of the • Overflow – Escape of oil
water . or liquid from a tank
because of a two-fold
• Operational – condition as a result of
Ready for overflowing thermal
immediate use expansion, change in
vessel trim or vessel
movement.
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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Polluter – A vessel emitting

harmful substances into the • PA-system – Public address
air or spilling oil into the system: loudspeakers in the
sea. vessel’s cabins, mess rooms,
etc., and on deck through
• Preventers – Ropes or wires which important information
attached to derricks to can be broadcast from a
prevent them from swinging central point, mostly from the
during cargo handling navigation bridge.
operations
• Proceed (to) To sail or head
for a certain position or to • Recover (to) – Here: to pick up
continue with the voyage shipwrecked persons

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Refloat (to) – To pull a

vessel off after
grounding: to set
afloat again
• Restricted area – A
• Rendezvous – An deck, space, area, etc.,
appointment between in vessels where, for
vessels normally made safety reasons, entry is
on radio to meet in a only permitted for
certain area of position unauthorized
• Reported – In crewmembers.
navigational warnings: • Resume (to) Here: to
position of object re-start a voyage,
unconfirmed. service or search

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

•Rig move – The •Retreat signal -

movement of an Sound visual or
oilrig, drilling
platform, etc., from other signal to a
one position to team ordering it
another. to return to its
base

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Roll call – The act of checking • SWL – Safe working load:

how many passengers and maximum working load of
crewmembers are present, e.g. lifting equipment that
at assembly stations, by should not be exceeded
reading aloud a list of their
names. • Safe working pressure – The
maximum permissible
• Safe speed – That speed of a pressure in cargo hoses
vessel allowing time for
effective action to be taken • SAR – Search and Rescue
under prevailing circumstances • SART – Search and Rescue
and conditions to avoid a Transponder
collision and to be stopped
within an appropriate
distance.

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases
• Search speed- The speed of
•Scene – The area or searching vessels directed by
location where the the OSC.
event, e.g an accident ,
• Seamark- A navigational aid
has happened. placed to act as a beacon or
•Search patterns- warning.
•A pattern according to • Segregation (of goods)-
which vessels and /or • Separation of goods which
aircraft may conduct a for different reasons must
coordinated search the not be stowed together
IMOSAR offers seven
search patterns)

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

•Shackle – • Shifting cargo –

Traverse movement of
•1. length of chain cable cargo, especially bulk
measuring 15 fathoms cargo, caused by rolling
•2. Unshaped link closed or a heavy list.
with a pin used for • Slings-
connecting purpose • Ropes, nets and any
other means for
handling general
cargoes.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
•Speed of advance – •Spill control gear –
•The speed at which a Anti-pollution
storm centre moves equipment for
combating accidental
•Spill- spills of oils or
•The accidental chemicals.
escape of oil, etc, •Stand by (to)-
from a vessel, •To be in readiness or
container, etc, into prepared to execute an
the sea order; to be readily
available
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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

•Stand clear (to)- •Stand on (to) –

•Here; to keep a boat •To maintain course
away from the vessel. and speed.
•Standing orders-
•Station –
•Orders of the Master to
the officer of the watch •The allotted place or
which he/she must the duties of each
comply with. person on board.

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 Marine communication phrases
• Take off (to) –
• Stripping –
• To lift off from a vessel’s
• Final pumping of tank’s
deck (helicopter).
residues.
• Survivor-
• Target-
• A person who continues • The echo generated e.g. by
to live in spite of being in a vessel , on a radar screen.
an extremely dangerous • Tension winch –
situation e.. A shipping • A winch which applies
disaster. tension to mooring lines to
keep them tight.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

•TEU- •Transit-
•Twenty Foot Equivalent •Here; The passage of a
Unit (standard vessel through a canal ,
container dimension). fairway,etc.
•Track- •Transit speed-
•The path followed, or to •Speed of a vessel
be followed between required for passage
one position and through a canal ,
another. fairway etc.

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases
• Under way-
• Fairway-
• Describes a vessel which is
• Navigable part of a not at anchor, or made fast
waterway. to the shore, or aground.
• Fairway speed- • Union purchase-
• Mandatory speed in a • A method of cargo
fairway. handling by combining two
• Transshipment (of cargo)- derricks, one of which is
• here; the transfer of goods fixed over the hatch, the
from one vessel to another other over the ship’s side.
outside harbors

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Unlit- •Veering (of winds)-

• When the light of a buoy or •Clockwise change in the
a lighthouse is inoperative. direction of the wind;
• UTC- opposite of backing.
• Universal Time Co-ordinated •Veer out (to) (of
(GMT). anchors)-
• Variable (of winds)-
•To let out a greater
• A wind that is constantly length of cable.
changing speed and
direction

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases
• VHF-
•(Vessel ) constrained by
• Very High Frequency
her draught- (30-300 MHz)
•A vessel severely • Walk out (to) (of anchors)
restricted by her • To reverse the action of a
draught in her ability to windlass to lower the
deviate from the course anchor until it is clear of
followed in relation to the hawse pipe and ready
the available depth and for dropping
width of navigable • Way point-
water. • A position

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 Standard Marine Communication
Phrases

• Way point-
• A position a vessel has to
pass or at which she has to •Wreck-
alter course according to her •A vessel which has been
voyage plan. destroyed, sunk or
• Windward- abandoned at sea.
• The general direction from
which the wind blows;
opposite of leeward.

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•VTS SPECIAL TERMS

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 VTS-Special terms
• Fairway – • Maneuvering speed-
• Navigable part of a • A vessel’s reduced speed in
waterway. circumstances where it may
• Fairway speed- be required to use the
• Mandatory speed in a engines at short notice.
fairway. • Receiving point-
• ITZ-
• A mark or place at which a
• Inshore Traffic Zone (of a vessel comes under
TSS); A routing measure
comprising a designated obligatory entry, transit, or
area between the escort procedure.
landward boundary of a
TSS and the adjacent
coast.

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 • Separation zone/line-
VTS-Special terms • A zone or line separating the
traffic lanes in which vessels
• Reporting point – are proceeding in opposite
or nearly opposite
• A mark or position at which directions; or separating a
a vessel is required to report traffic lane from the
to the local VTS station to adjacent sea area; or
establish its position. separating traffic lanes
designated for particular
• Traffic clearance- classes of vessels
• VTS authorization for a proceeding in the same
vessel to proceed under direction.
conditions specified

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 VTS-Special terms • Traffic clearance –
• VTS authorization for a
• Reference line – vessel to proceed
• A-line displayed on the under conditions
radar screens in VTS specified.
Centers and /or • Traffic lane-
electronic sea-charts • An area within defined
separating the fairway limits in which one-way
for inbound and traffic is established.
outbound vessels so
that they can safely
pass each other.

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 VTS-Special terms

• VTS –
• TSS- • Vessel Traffic Services:
• Traffic Separation Scheme: a services designed to
routing measure aimed at improve the safety and
the separation of opposing efficiency of vessel traffic
streams of traffic by and to protect the
appropriate means and by environment.
the establishment of traffic • VTS area-
lanes.
• Area controlled by a VTS
centre or VTS station.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Abandon vessel (to) – To

evacuate crew and • Adrift – Uncontrolled
passengers from a vessel movement at sea under
following a distress. the influence of
• Accommodation ladder – current, tide or wind.
Ladder attached to • Air draught- the height
platform vessel’s side from the waterline to
with flat steps and he highest point of the
handrails enabling vessel.
persons to
embark/disembark from
water or shore.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Backing (of wind)- Shift of

• Assembly station – Place on wind direction in an
deck, in mess rooms, etc., anticlockwise manner, for
assigned to crew and example from north to west
passengers where they have (opposite of veering)
to meet according to the • Beach (to ) – To run a vessel
muster list when the up on a beach to prevent its
sinking in deep water.
corresponding alarm is
released or announcement
made.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Blind sector- An area which

• Berth – i) A sea room to cannot be scanned by the
be kept for safety around ship’s radar because it is
a vessel, rock, platform. shielded by parts of the
• ii) The place superstructure, masts, etc.
assigned to a vessel when • Boarding arrangements- All
anchored or lying equipment, such as pilot
alongside a ladder, accommodation
• Pier, etc. ladder, hoist etc., necessary
• Blast – A whistle signal for a safe transfer of the
made by the vessel pilot.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• Briefing – Concise
explanatory information to
• Boarding speed – The crew and / or passengers
speed of a vessel
adjusted to that of a • Cable- i) Chain connecting a
pilot boat at which vessel to the anchors
the pilot can safely • ii) Wire or rope primarily
embark/disembark used for mooring a ship
• Bob-cat – A • iii) (Measurement) one
mini-caterpillar with hundred fathoms or one
push-blade used for tenth of a nautical
the careful mile.
distribution of loose
goods in cargo holds
of bulk carriers.
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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases • Compatibility (of goods) –
Indicates whether different
• Close-coupled towing- A goods can be safely stowed
method of towing vessels together in one cargo space
through polar ice by or in an adjacent hold.
means of ice-breaking
tugs with a special stern • Convoy – A group of
notch suited to receive vessels which sail together,
and hold the bow of the e.g. through a canal or ice
vessel to be towed • Course – The intended
• Close up (to) -To decrease direction of movement of a
the distance to the vessel vessel through the water
ahead by increasing one’s
own speed.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• Crash-stop – An emergency
• COW – Crude Oil Washing: a reversal operation of the
system of cleaning the cargo main engine (s) to avoid a
tanks by washing them with collision.
the cargo of crude oil during
discharge. • Damage control team – A
group of crew members
• CPA/TCPA – Closest Point of
Approach/Time to Closest
trained for fighting flooding
Point of Approach: : limit as in the vessel.
defined by the observer to give • Derelict – Vessel still afloat,
warning , when a tracked abandoned at sea
target or targets will be close
to within these limits

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Destination- Port for which a

vessel is bound • Draught ( or draft) –
• Disabled- A vessel damaged or Depth in water at which
impaired in such a manner as a vessel floats.
to be incapable of proceeding • Embark (to ) – To go
on its voyage
aboard a vessel
• Disembark – To go from a
vessel. • (GMDSS)- Global
Maritime Distress and
Safety System

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• MRCC – Maritime Rescue • Moor (to) – To secure a

Co-ordination Centre: vessel in a particular place
Land-based authority by means of wires or
responsible for promoting ropes made fast to the
efficient organization of shore, to anchors, or to
maritime search and rescue anchored mooring buoys,
and for coordinating the or to ride with both
conduct of search and anchors down.
rescue operations within a
search and rescue region.

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases
• ETA – Estimated Time
of Arrival
• Distress alert (GMDSS) – A
radio signal from a • ETD – Estimated Time
distressed vessel of Departure
automatically directed to • Fathom- A measure
an MRCC giving position of 6 feet.
identification, course and • EPIRB – Emergency
speed of the vessel as well Position – Indicating
as the nature of distress. Radio Beacon
•

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Escape Route- A clearly • Dragging (of anchor) –

marked way in the vessel Moving of an anchor over
which has to be followed the sea-bottom involuntarily
in case of an emergency because it is no longer
• Escort – Attending a preventing the movement
vessel to be available in of the vessel
case of need, e.g. • Dredging ( of anchor) –
ice-breaker, tug etc. Moving of an anchor over
• Elongated spreader – the sea-bottom to control
Here, step of a pilot the movement of the vessel.
ladder which prevents the
ladder from twisting

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 Standard Marine Communication Phrases

• Drop back (to) – To

increase the distance
from the vessel
ahead by reducing
one’s own speed
• Casualty – Here case
of death in an
accident or shipping
disaster.

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•THANK YOU
•ANY QUESTIONS