Maritime glossary
Anchorage
A designated area off a port where vessels anchor to wait for a berth, orders, or tide.
Definition
An anchorage is a charted area of sheltered water where ships drop anchor to wait, for a free berth, for cargo documents or orders, for the tide, or for bunkers and stores delivered by barge. Time at anchor can stretch from hours to weeks, and at congested ports the size of the anchorage queue is a live signal of congestion. Vessels at anchor show a distinct AIS navigational status.
Worked example
A bulker waiting two weeks at the Singapore eastern anchorage for a berth is burning operating cost the whole time, which is exactly the kind of delay laytime and demurrage are written to allocate.
How Vessel Hunter uses Anchorage
Vessel Hunter reads the at-anchor status from AIS, so service providers can reach ships sitting at the anchorage with time and a reason to talk.
Related terms
- Berth
The specific quay or jetty position where a vessel ties up to load, discharge, or lay up.
- Pilotage
The guidance of a ship through confined or hazardous waters by a local maritime pilot.
- Laytime
The time agreed in the charter party for cargo loading or discharge. Once exceeded, demurrage starts.
- ETAEstimated Time of Arrival
The forecast time at which a vessel is expected to arrive at its next port or waypoint.
The bigger picture
Anchorage is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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