Unitisation. To “unitise” cargo is to combine different goods or even different elements of the same goods, into one “group” or “unit” of a regular size.

Unseaworthiness. If the condition of a vessel is such that she is not reasonably fit in all respects to encounter the ordinary perils of the sea, either by insufficient maintenance and repairs, incomplete crew, insufficient equipment or wrong stowage of cargo, etc., she is referred to as being unseaworthy.

USEC. An abbreviation signifying that the vessel proceeds to a port or ports on the United States East Coast.

Unclean bill of lading. Under the UCP 1983, a “clean transport document is one which bears no superimposed clause or notation which expressly declares a defective condition of the goods and/or the packaging”.

U.S.G. United States Gulf. This is part of the Gulf of Mexico between North America and South America on the Eastern seaboard of the North American Continent. Geographically, the Gulf is not part of the U.S.A., yet the abbreviation refers to ports in the U.S.A., such as Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans, Galveston and Houston , from which vessels are chartered.

USNH. United States ports, North of Cape Hatteras.

USWC. An abbreviation signifying that the vessel proceeds to a port or ports on the United States West Coast.

U.S. Shipping Act 1984. In the United States in the late 19th century much legislation was passed to prevent the restraint of trade and to ensure “free competition”.

Voyage estimating. This is the activity earned out by owners, charterers, shipbrokers, and/or charterers' agents, to determine the return for any potential voyage on a voyage charter, after deducting, from the freight revenue, the running costs and other expenses during the voyage.

UCP 1983. Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (1983 Revision) of the International Chamber of Commerce; ICC Publication Number 400.

Unless sooner berthed. These words may be found in older charterparties.

Voyage charter. Under a voyage charter shipowners undertake to put a named vessel of a certain description at the disposal of a Charterer for the carriage of a full cargo or part cargo from one or more ports in a specified range of ports to one or more named ports of destination or ports within a specified range at freight rates and conditions agreed between the two during negotiations before the fixture.

Underdeck tonnage. Space below the “tonnage deck”, above the double bottom tanks, open floors or ceilings and between inboard faces of frames or sparring and including protuberances such as shaft bossings, bulbous bows, and so on. (The “tonnage deck” is the second deck from above except in the case of single-decked vessels in which case it is the upper deck.)

Utmost good faith. Section 17 of MIA states:

VOLCOA. (See COA.) This is the abbreviation or "Codename" used for the standard form of Volume Contract of Affreightment for the transportation of bulk dry cargoes. It is published by BIMCO and adopted by other shipping organisations including the General Council of British Shipping (GCBS) and FONASBA.