ship's days

English

Noun

ship's days pl (plural only)

1. (archaic, nautical) The days allowed for a vessel to load or unload.
   • 1871, Alfred Henry Alston, Robert Hastings Harris, Seamanship, page 533:

     As a general rule, i.e., in the absence of a custom of the Port, or a stipulation to the contrary, "lay-days" mean "running days," and include Sundays and fixed holidays; one exception being where the ship has reported too late for the Merchant to begin discharging in fair time on Saturday, in which case the Merchant would be entitled to begin to count his "lay-days" from the following Monday, or first working day, which the late reporting of the ship on Saturday gives him the advantage of; the ship's days would then run on as running days—the succeeding Sundays and holidays counting as "days" against the Merchant.

   • 1881, William Mitchell, Maritime Notes and Queries: A Record of Shipping Law and Usage, page 32:

     The bye-law in the harbour (at Boulogne) stipulates that a ship's days do not count until 24 hours after she gets a quay berth.

   • 1901, The World War and Historic Deeds of Valor, page 155:

     Both completely discharged of locomotives and cargoes in 13 days with saving of 15 ship's days in unloading the 33 locomotives erected as compared with same number of locomotives not erected and further saving of 14 days of erecting forces.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ship,‎ day.