Chris, The terms are both related to Customs clearance, and were used in Britain and America, as well as Australia. Most of the nautical dictionaries I looked at listed "cleared out", but none included "entered out". Without any absolute certainty, but having read many shipping reports in search of my ancestor's activities, it appears to me that the terms should be considered as abbreviations. "Entered out" refers to the process of 'entering' the customs clearance process on the 'outward' journey. I presume once this occurred no more cargo could be taken on board. "Cleared out" refers to the completion of customs inspection and payment of all dues when the vessel is 'cleared' for the 'outward' voyage. As Dawn mentions, there is a time gap between the two events. I assume that the ship would be in virtual quarantine while being inspected, to ensure no contraband was added while the ship was waiting to be cleared. I can supply you with copies of articles which appear to explain this. One article clearly links the terms to the Customs process. -- Regards Mike Hurburgh --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com