0.    INTRODUCTION

       This specification provides the definition of the Vessel
       departure message (VESDEP) to be used in Electronic Data
       Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in
       administration, commerce and transport.

1.    SCOPE

1.1   Functional Definition

       A message from a stevedore to a liner agent informing the
       latter party of the closing of a vessel's file and giving
       information on the actual container operations.
       
       This message is part of a total set of container-related
       messages. These messages serve to facilitate the intermodal
       handling of containers by streamlining the information
       exchange.
       The business scenario for the container messages is clarified
       in a separate document, called: 'Guide to the scenario of
       EDIFACT container messages'.

1.2   Field of Application

       The Vessel departure message may be used for both national and
       international trade. It is based on universal commercial
       practice and is not dependent on the type of business or
       industry.

1.3   Principles

       In the context of the 'Guide to the scenario of EDIFACT
       container messages' (as referred to at the start of section 1)
       the following guidelines, rules and functionality apply to this
       Vessel departure message:
       
       *   A message will contain information on only one means of
       transport/conveyance.
       
       *   Separate messages (Call info message and Vessel departure
       message) will be used for the means of transport in order to
       cater for opening and closing of the information exchange
       related to that means of transport. Updates for these messages
       may be sent.
       
       *   The message contents can be uniquely identified by a
       combination of the following data elements:
       - ordering customer/principal
       - ordering customer agent
       - mode of transport
       - conveyance reference number/voyage number
       
       The ordering customer agent is to supplement the unique
       identification only when several agents are acting on behalf of
       the same shipping line for the same voyage number.

2.    REFERENCES

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 1.

3.    TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 2.

4.    MESSAGE DEFINITION

4.1   Data Segment Clarification

       This section should be read in conjunction with the Branching
       Diagram and the Segment Table which indicate mandatory,
       conditional and repeating requirements.

   UNH, Message header
       A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message.
       The message type code for the Vessel departure message is
       VESDEP.
       
       Note: Vessel departure messages conforming to this document
       must contain the following data in segment UNH, composite S009:

       Data element  0065 VESDEP
                     0052 D
                     0054 95A
                     0051 UN

   BGM, Beginning of message
       A segment to indicate the beginning of a message and to
       transmit identifying number.

   RFF, Reference
       A segment to provide a reference relating to the whole message,
       such as:
       -   reference to previous message


   Segment group 1: NAD-CTA
       A group of segments to identify a party and related contacts.

      NAD, Name and address
          A segment to identify a name and address of a party, such
          as:
          -   message sender
          -   message recipient
          -   ordering customer/principal
          -   ordering customer agent

      CTA, Contact information
          A segment to identify a person or department for the party,
          such as:
          -   information contact


   Segment group 2: TDT-RFF-DTM
       A group of segments to specify details of the departing means
       of transport.

      TDT, Details of transport
          A segment to identify the transport details of the departing
          vessel.

      RFF, Reference
          A segment to identify a relevant reference number, such as:
          -   voyage number

      DTM, Date/time/period
          A segment to identify a date and time related to the
          departure of the means of transport, such as:
          -   actual sailing date/time


   Segment group 3: QTY-FTX
       A group of segments to specify total numbers.

      QTY, Quantity
          A segment to specify the actual number of segments in the
          message and the control reference number of the message.

      FTX, Free text
          A segment to provide supplementary information related to
          the actual number of operations on equipment.

   UNT, Message trailer
       A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of
       segments in the message and the control reference number of the
       message.

4.2   Data segment index (Alphabetical sequence by tag)

          BGM Beginning of message
          CTA Contact information
          DTM Date/time/period
          FTX Free text
          NAD Name and address
          QTY Quantity
          RFF Reference
          TDT Details of transport
          UNH Message header
          UNT Message trailer

Contents of VESDEP