Nautical Term: USC

Definition of USC

Unless Sooner Commenced (often abbreviated as USC) is a nautical term indicating that a vessel’s time spent at anchor or lying to a buoy before commencing her intended voyage should not exceed the time it would take for her to have commenced the voyage, had no delays, and sailed with favorable winds.

For example, if a vessel’s intended voyage is from Miami, Florida, to New York City, New York, and she learns that it typically takes her type of vessel 5 days to make this voyage under normal conditions, she should not remain at anchor or lying to a buoy for more than 5 days before commencing her voyage, unless circumstances beyond her control require a longer delay.

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