STOWAGE PLAN

Cargo handling is one of the major activities in the Shipping Industry as it is concerned with the safe
loading, transport, and unloading of goods from one place to another. It involves both human and
machinery force and is nonetheless, one of the essential corners in due regard to safe and efficient
operations in shore or at sea. The course will provide a concept for cargo plan for loading and unloading
non-dangerous cargo in accordance with established safety rules/regulation, equipment operating
instructions and shipboard stowage limitations. It will examine the significance of monitoring the cargo
during the voyage. The portion of this course explores the importance when defects and damage to
cargo space, hatch covers and ballast tanks are found.

Course Introduction

• A plan showing the distribution of all cargo parcels stored on board of a vessel for a voyage.

• A plan Showing the details the quantity, weight and port of discharge.

• A plan presenting the quantities and description of the various grades carried in the ship cargo tanks
after the loading is completed.

STOWAGE PLAN

Stowage is the amount of room available for stowing materials aboard a ship, tank or an airplane.
container shipping, stowage planning refers to the arrangement of containers on board a container
vessel.

What is Stowage?

• To optimize the available space.

• To prevent damage to the goods.

• To minimize the time the vessel spends at the port terminal.

WHY DO WE NEED TO STOW

CARGO DESTINATION?

• Normally, those going to the first port calls in the schedule will be placed on top.

CARGO WEIGHT

• Lighter containers are stored on top of heavier ones to prevent damages and stresses on the
containers.

CARGO NATURE

• Dangerous Goods (DG) containers are normally placed at the forward end of ship, or on a designated
DG hold, and on the upper deck to minimize the loss in cases of fire or leakage.
HOW TO CORRECTLY STOW ?

Cargo Stowage Plan of General Cargo

The safe operation of vessels is dependent on not exceeding allowable stresses in the cycle of loading,
discharging, ballasting and de-ballasting. To prepare the vessel for cargo stowage and a safe planning,
the loading and unloading sequences and other operational matters should be informed well in advance.

Preparing Vessel for Cargo Operations – Collecting

Cargo and Port Information: Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

Cargo trimming is a mandatory requirement for some cargoes, especially where there is a risk of the
cargo shifting or where liquefaction could take place. It is recommended the cargo in all holds be
trimmed in an attempt to minimize the risk of cargo shift.

• i) Prior to loading bulk cargo, the shipper should declare characteristics & density of the cargo,
stowage factor, angle of repose, amounts and special properties.

• ii) Cargo availability and any special requirements for the sequencing of cargo operations. The shore
terminal should provide the ship with the following information : Planning and Control of Cargo
Operations

• iii) Characteristics of the loading or unloading equipment including number of loaders and unloaders
to be used, their ranges of movement, and the terminal's nominal and maximum loading and unloading
rates, where applicable.

• Iv) Minimum depth of water alongside the berth and in the fairway channels. The shore terminal
should provide the ship with the following information : Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

• v) Water density at the berth.

• vi) Air draught restrictions at the berth.

• vii) Maximum sailing draught and minimum draught for safe maneuvering permitted by the port
authority. The shore terminal should provide the ship with the following information : Planning and
Control of Cargo Operations

• viii) The amount of cargo remaining on the conveyor belt which will be loaded onboard the ship after a
cargo stoppage signal has been given by the ship.

• ix) Terminal requirements/procedures for shifting ship.

• x) Local port restrictions, for example, bunkering and deballasting requirements etc. The shore
terminal should provide the ship with the following information : Planning and Control of Cargo
Operations

Devising a Cargo Stowage Plan and Loading/Unloading Plan

 Planning and Control of Cargo Operations Exceeding the permissible limits specified in the ship's
approved loading manual will lead to overstressing of the ship's structure and may result in catastrophic
failure of the hull structure.

Devising a Cargo Stowage Plan and Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

The amount and type of cargo to be transported and the intended voyage will dictate the proposed
departure cargo and/or ballast stowage plan. The officer in charge should always refer to the loading
manual to ascertain an appropriate cargo load distribution, satisfying the imposed limits on structural
loading. Two stages in the development of a safe plan for cargo loading or unloading:

Devising a Cargo Stowage Plan and Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

Step 1: Given the intended voyage, the

amount of cargo and/or water ballast

to be carried and imposed structural

and operational limits, devise a safe

departure condition, known as the

stowage plan.

Step 2: Given the arrival condition of

the ship and knowing the departure

condition (stowage plan) to be

attained, devise a safe loading or

unloading plan that satisfies the

imposed structural and operational

limits.

In the event that the cargo needs to

be distributed differently from that

described in the ship's loading

manual, stress and displacement

calculations are always to be carried

out to ascertain, for any part of the

intended voyage, that:

Devising a Cargo Stowage

Plan and

Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

a) The still water shear forces and

bending moments along the ship's

length are within the permissible

Seagoing limits.

b) If applicable, the weight of cargo in

each hold, and, when block loading is

adopted, the weights of cargo in two

successive holds are within the allowable

Seagoing limits for the draught of the

ship. These weights include the amount

of water ballast carried in the hopper and

double bottom tanks in way of the hold(s).

c) The load limit on the tank top and

other relevant limits, if applicable, on

local loading are not exceeded.

The consumption of ship's bunkers

during the voyage should be taken

into account when carrying out these

stress and displacement calculations.

Devising a Cargo Stowage

Plan and

Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

Whilst deriving a plan for cargo

operations, the officer in charge must

consider the ballasting operation to

ensure:

a) Correct synchronization with the

cargo operation.

b) That the deballasting/ballasting

rate is specially considered against

the loading rate and the imposed

structural and operational limits.

c) That ballasting and deballasting of

each pair of symmetrical port and

starboard tanks is carried out

simultaneously.

During the planning stage of cargo

operations, stress and displacement

calculations should be carried out at

incremental steps commensurate with

the number of pours and loading

sequence of the proposed operation

to ensure that:

Devising a Cargo Stowage

Plan and

Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

• The SWSF and SWBM along the ship's length

are within the permissible Harbour limits.

• The load limit on the tank top and other

relevant limits, if applicable, on local loading

are not exceeded.

• At the final departure condition, the SWSF

and SWBM along the ship's length are within

the permissible Seagoing stress limits.

• If applicable, the weight of cargo in each

hold, and, when block loading is adopted,

the weights of cargo in two adjacent holds

are within the allowable Harbor limits for

the draught of the ship. These weights

include the amount of water ballast carried

in the hopper and double bottom tanks in

way of the hold(s).

• The loading/unloading plan should

indicate any allowances for cargo

stoppage (which may be necessary

to allow the ship to deballast when

the loading rate is high), shifting

ship, bunkering, draught checks and

cargo trimming.

Devising a Cargo Stowage

Plan and

Loading/Unloading Plan

Planning and Control of Cargo Operations

• The loading or unloading plan

should only be changed when a

revised plan has been prepared,

accepted and signed by both

parties. Loading plans should be

kept by the ship and terminal for a

period of six months.

• A copy of the agreed loading or

unloading plan and any subsequent

amendments to it should be lodged

with the appropriate authority of the

port State.