What is Cargo Plan
A ship’s cargo plan shows the distribution as well as the disposition of all
parcels of cargo aboard the vessel. The plan is formulated usually from the
workbooks of the ‘deck officers’, a fair copy being produced before departure
from the final port of loading. This allows copies of the plan to be made before
the vessel sails. The copies are forwarded to agents at ports of discharge to
allow the booking and reservation of labour, as appropriate.
To facilitate discharge planning it is essential that a copy of the plan reaches
the discharging ports ahead of the ship and modern communications
technology makes this easily achievable.
The cargo plan should include relevant details of cargo i.e total quantity,
description of packages, bales, pallets, etc, tonnage, port of discharge,
identification marks, and special features if and when separated.
Bulk carrier plans must contain the total tonnage of each commodity loaded
into each hatch.
Container plans are drawn up and delivered by the container terminal, usually
under the direction of a central authority for a particular service.
The number and weight of each container must be recorded together with any
specific information need by the Master, e.g. IMDG cargo, temperature
controlled, tank, etc.
Additional Information on Cargo Plan
Additional information, such as the following, generally appears on most plans
:-
i) Name of the vessel
ii) Name of the Master.
iii) List of loading ports.
iv) List of discharging ports, in order of call.
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v) Sailing draughts.
vi) Tonnage load breakdown.
vii) Hatch tonnage breakdown.
viii) Voyage number.
ix) Total volume of empty space remaining.
x) List of dangerous cargo, if any.
xi) List of special cargo, if any.
xii) Statement of deadweight, fuel, stores,water etc.
xiii) Details of cargo separations.
xiv) Recommended temperatures for the carriage of various goods.
xv) Chief officer’s signature.
The plan provides at a glance the distribution of the cargo and shows possible
access to it in the event of fire or the cargo shifting. Its most common function
is to limit overcarriage and the possibility of short delivery at the port of
discharge. It also allows cargo operations, stevedores, rigging equipment,
lifting gear and so on to be organised without costly delays to the ship.
Making of a Cargo Plan
All cargo should be stowed having due regard to the order of discharge.
The following points should be taken into account:
i) cargo information, including gross mass of the cargo or cargo units and any
special properties detailed on board or in the shipping documents, should be
recorded and used in planning;
ii) wherever practicable, where more than one port is involved for loading or
unloading, cargo should be loaded in layers rather than in tiers, so as to avoid
the development of high vertical walls of cargo;
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iii) care should be taken not to overstow lighter cargoes with heavier cargoes
which may lead to a collapse of the stow;
iv) wherever practicable, cargo should be stowed so as to leave safe clearance
behind the rungs of hold ladders and to allow safe access as may be necessary
at sea;
v) the need to walk across or climb onto deck cargo, where this may involve an
approach to an unprotected edge with risk of falling, should be minimised;
vi) care should be taken to avoid large gaps next to cargo where it is stacked
against corrugated bulkheads.
Deck cargo should be stowed in accordance with the statutory regulations, and
kept clear of hatch coamings to allow safe access.
Access to safety equipment, fire fighting equipment (particularly fire hydrants)
and sounding pipes should also be kept free.
General Stowage
Stowage should aim at distributing the cargo for any particular load or
discharge port equally in every hold, such that all the cargo handling
equipment is employed to full capacity throughout loading and discharging
operations.
It is best to ensure that the "heavy" hatch does not have to remain working for
extensive periods after all other hatches are finished and have been battened
down, with the added restriction, probably, of only one gang and one hook
being able to get access to the space being worked.
Where foodstuffs and fine goods are stowed (i.e. goods such as carpets,
clothes, etc., which may be easily damaged or take on taint) only clean nail-
free dunnage should be used and stowage should be found in separate
compartments away from such obnoxious commodities as creosote, aniline,
essential oils, petroleum, copra, hides, manures, cassia, certain chemicals,
turpentine, newly sawn or most kinds of timber, green fruit, onions, etc.
Weighty packages such as cases of machinery, railway bar or plate iron, blocks
of stones, ore billets, ingots or pigs of metal, etc., should always be stowed on
the tanktop or floor with lighter cargo on top.
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As a general rule, fragile and light packages should be stowed in `tween deck
spaces the deck of such being, if necessary or advisable, covered with weighty
goods where they will not be subjected to excessive top weight.
Broken Stowage
Any break in stowage or broken stowage caused by the presence of pillars,
stanchions, brackets, web frames, etc., for the filling of which certain packages
are not available, or space which is unsuitable to receive a package of cargo,
should be packed firmly with suitable dunnage or airbags, in order to prevent
movement of cargo in a seaway and to afford a stable and level platform for
the next tier.
Cargo Ship Guide lines
• cargo and cargo units carried on or under deck are loaded, stowed and
secured so as to prevent as far as practicable, throughout the voyage, damage
or hazard to the ship and the persons on board, and loss of cargo overboard;
• appropriate precautions are taken during loading and transport of heavy
cargoes or cargoes with abnormal physical dimensions to ensure that no
structural damage to the ship occurs and to maintain adequate stability
throughout the voyage; appropriate precautions are taken during loading and
transport of cargo units on board ro-ro ships, especially with regard to the
securing arrangements on board such ships and on the cargo units and with
regard to the strength of the securing points and lashings; • cargo on ships
required to carry a Cargo Securing Manual is stowed and secured throughout
the voyage in accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual; and cargo on board
all ships having ro-ro cargo spaces and required to carry a Cargo Securing
Manual is stowed and secured in accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual
before the ship leaves the berth.
Where packaged goods have been packed into or onto a cargo unit, the
shipper or forwarder of the goods must ensure that:
the cargo is packed and secured so as to prevent, throughout any voyage,
damage or hazard to the ship and the person on board; and if the cargo unit is
a container, it is not loaded to more than the maximum gross weight indicated
on the Safety Approval Plate attached to the container in accordance with the
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IMO International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC 1972).
Fuel oil stored in side and double bottom tanks often requires heating to
maintain viscosity required for pumping. Heat transfer into adjacent cargo
holds can cause problems, the effects ranging from 'toasting' and moisture
migration in bulk cargoes to explosion of IMDG cargoes in over-heated
containers.
Cargo Plan Qn
Prepare a stowage plan for loading in No. 2 cargo hold based on details given
below. No. LH Capacity 1700m³, 2TD capacity 1410m³. Disport Rotation
Singapore then Hongkong. Dimensions of LH & TD is 15 x 10m & Load density
LH 8t/m², TD 5t/m².
Cargo Sf Wt Disport
Ore 0.5 400T Hongkong
Gunnies 1.7 500 Hongkong
Rubber 2.0 100 HKG
Tea Chests 3.0 80 Singapore
Machinery 2.0 70 singapore
Gunnies 1.7 400 Singapore
Sol.
Bale cap. of TDk = 1410m³ Load density T Dk = 5t/m²
Bale cap. Of Hold = 1700m³ Load density T Dk = 8t/m²
Max cargo that can be loaded on T Dk =15 x 10 x 5 =750 Ts
Max cargo that can be loaded in LH = 15 x 10 x 8 = 1200 Ts
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Cargo SF Wt M³ Disport
Ore 0.5 400T 200 Hongkong
Gunnies 1.7 500 850 Hongkong
Rubber 2.0 100 200 Hongkong
Tea Chests 3.0 80 240 Singapore
Machinery 2.0 70 140 singapore
Gunnies 1.7 400 680 Singapore
Total 1550 T 2310 m³
Assignment : Pls make a cargo plan for the following Qn
Qn 2
M.V Mumbai is expected to load general cargo at Kolkata in No.3 tween deck
(bale cap. 2200 cbm), No.4 Tween deck( bale cap. 2000cbm). No.3, no.4 lower
holds (bale cap. 4200cbm each). The discharge ports in order of rotation are
Muskat, Dubai, and Sharjah. Prepare a stowage plan.
Cargo Sf Wt Disport
Tex bales 3.6 400 T Dubai
Lead Ingots 0.30 3500 T Sharjah
Loose tyres 4.2 800 T Muskat
Copra in bags 2.6 1600 T Sharjah
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