Hatch beams or hatch webs. Hatch beams, also known as hatch webs, are found in older general cargo vessels.

Hamburg Rules 1978. By the mid-19th century shipowners, who were generally a powerful group, were able to insert various protective clauses in their contracts of carriage with cargo interests.

Hamburg Rules. While the Hague Rules/Hague-Visby Rules were supposed to improve the position of the holder of a bill of lading as against the carrier of goods by sea, some cargo-generating countries considered that the protection of the shipper was insufficient.

Hague Rules and Hague-Visby Rules. These "Rules" are sets of internationally-agreed, standard conditions which apply to contracts for carriage of goods by sea ("COGS") when the contracts are covered by a bill of lading or similar "document of title" including a bill of lading issued under a charterparty or complying with a charterparty.

Hague-Visby Rules. (See Appendix IX for text of the Hague Rules and Hague-Visby Ruless amendments as implemented by the United Kingdom Carriage of goods by Sea Act 1971.)

HHDWS (Heavy handy deadweight scrap). This is a type of scrap-metal cargo usually originating from the U.S.A.

Hatchways. The hatchways are the rectangular openings in the ship’s decks giving access to the cargo holds. The vertical plating around the hatchways is called the “hatch coaming”. The hatchways are usually closed by hatch covers. The hatchways are made weather tight.

Heating coils. Vessels carrying cargo oil in bulk may be fitted with steam heating coils in order to maintain the required temperature for pumping.

Hull insurance. The hull insurance policy usually covers the hull, machinery, and complete equipment.

House bill of lading. A freight forwarder can act as agent for a group of exporters of smaller consignments.

Hamburg Rules v. Hague-Visby Rules. A summary comparison will be attempted here based on the “Hamburg Rules” Articles and the headings given to them in the Convention. The provisions of the Hague-Visby Rules will be identified by the abbreviation “HVR” and Roman numerals.

Horsepower (hp). The power developed by engines was expressed in “brake horse power”. Power is now measured in watts (W). The multiple for ships’ engines is in kilowatts (kW). 1 kW = 1.34 hp.

Hague Rules. (See Appendix IX for text of the Hague Rules and Hague-Visby Rules amendments as implemented by the United Kingdom Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971.)

Hire. This is the payment for hiring a fully manned and equipped vessel. The word can also be used as payment for leasing or demising a vessel.

High cube. Normally, with break bulk or bulk cargo, this expression meant that the ratio of volume to weight of the goods was high.