Date line. When steaming from West to East time is lost for each time zone. Conversely, when proceeding from East to West time is gained.

Exceptions to laytime. Laytime is the period of time during which the shipowner will make the vessel available for loading and/or discharging. The user of the ship, presumably the charterer, will therefore enjoy a "store" or "stock" of time.

Excluded spaces. These are not included in the “gross tonnage”: e.g., dry cargo space above the upper deck, machinery spaces above the upper deck, wheelhouse, navigation spaces, galley, dedicated water ballast tanks above the upper deck and so on.

Such excluded spaces (except dry cargo space) must be certified by a surveyor to be reasonable in extent, properly constructed and permanently marked as to their purpose. Double bottom tanks are not spaces included in the gross tonnage.

Deck cargoes. Many cargoes can be carried on deck because of their size or weight of individual units. Ondeck cargo is prone to damage and/or loss overboard and the carrier should try to reduce his liability accordingly.

Exceptions clause ("Exclusion of liability"). In chartering, and, indeed, in any contract the expression "exceptions clause" describes the effect on liability of one or both parties to the contract. Such clauses fall under a general heading of "protective clauses".

Employment and Indemnity clause. This can sometimes be called merely the "Employment clause" especially if it is found in a charterparty in which the charterer is not obliged to indemnify the shipowner against all consequences or liabilities from following the charterer's orders as regarding the employment of the ship: "To indemnify" means to reimburse a person for his loss or to place him in the same financial position after a. loss in which he was before the loss.

DEQ (delivered ex quay ... named port of destination)

DEQ DELIVERED EX QUAY
(... named port of destination)

Economic speed or Optimum speed. Several factors are considered when determining the economic speed of a vessel. This is the speed producing the best possible financial result for owners mainly because at the economic speed the least fuel will be consumed, especially in times when fuel costs are very high, and also produce the least wear and tear on the main propulsion machinery. These factors include:

Evidence of contract of carriage. Functions of a bill of lading. When asked to define a bill of lading, people may state that it “... has the following functions: it is a receipt for cargo, a document of title to the goods described and evidence of the contract of carriage”.

Down to her marks. This expression means that the vessel has been loaded to her maximum permissible draught, either winter, summer or tropical loadlines, as the case may be.

Exceptions to liability. Under a bill of lading the carrier undertakes to deliver the goods to their agreed destination unless prevented by “excepted perils” or “exceptions”. In an early case, Grill v. General Iron Screw Collier Co., 1866, it was said:

Essential features of general average. 

Draught(also “Draft”). This is the vertical distance between the waterline and the keel. During construction of a vessel, the marks showing the draught are cut into each side of the stem and sternpost and clearly painted from a certain distance below the light draught to a certain distance below above the loaded draught.

E.i.u. (Even if used). This expression is used in either its full form or in its abbreviated form, for example in "fixing letters or "recap telexes".

Extreme breadth. This is the maximum breadth of the vessel to the outside of the plating and ship’s structure.