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Lighter refers to a flat-bottomed barge or vessel primarily used to transfer cargo or passengers between a moored ship and the shore, or between two vessels. Characteristics include: (1) Typically flat-bottomed and unpowered (dumb barge), requiring towing by tugboats.

The term "Rules of the Road" officially refers to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Features include: (1) Statutory Navigation Guidelines: It prescribes the fundamental statutory rules governing the conduct of vessels on the high seas and all connected navigable waters to prevent marine collisions.

A deck rating refers to a non-officer member of a ship's crew assigned to the deck department. According to the STCW Convention, a "rating" means a member of the ship's crew other than the master or an officer. Their primary responsibilities typically include performing navigational watch duties (such as keeping a proper lookout and steering the vessel), executing routine deck maintenance, and assisting in mooring operations and cargo handling under the direct supervision of the master and deck officers. Typical ranks within this category include Able Seafarer Deck (AB) and Ordinary Seaman (OS).

Heading refers to the direction in which the longitudinal axis of a ship is pointed at any given moment, usually expressed in three-digit degrees from 000° to 360° relative to North (True, Magnetic, or Compass). Key characteristics include: (1) It represents the instantaneous direction of the ship's bow.

"Center of Gravity of a ship (usually denoted as 'G')" refers to the point through which the entire weight of a ship and its contents (including hull, cargo, fuel, and stores) acts vertically downwards. Key characteristics include: (1) Its position depends solely on the distribution of weights within the vessel. (2) Loading, discharging, or shifting weights onboard will directly alter its position. (3) The vertical distance from the keel to the center of gravity is known as KG. In maritime practice, calculating the exact position of 'G' is a fundamental requirement under the Intact Stability Code (IS Code) of SOLAS to determine the metacentric height (GM) and ensure the vessel has adequate initial stability against capsizing.