Maritime glossary
Master
The captain of a merchant vessel — has overall command, signs the bill of lading, and represents the owner on board.
Definition
The Master — the captain — is the senior officer of the vessel and has overall command of navigation, safety, and cargo. The Master signs the bill of lading on behalf of the owner, issues the Notice of Readiness that triggers laytime, and is the operator’s representative for port officials and pilots. In commercial maritime, the Master’s name and contact are required by port agents for nominations and for crew change planning.
How Vessel Hunter uses Master
Vessel Hunter exposes the ship-side contact — Master, Chief Officer, or the operator’s 24/7 ops desk — alongside the commercial decision-maker, so port agents have both ends of the line.
Related terms
- ETAEstimated Time of Arrival
The forecast time at which a vessel is expected to arrive at its next port or waypoint.
- Laytime
The time agreed in the charter party for cargo loading or discharge — once exceeded, demurrage starts.
- Charter Party
The contract under which a vessel is hired to a charterer — voyage, time, or bareboat.
The bigger picture
Master is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, port agents, and service providers. 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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