CARGO STOWAGE 397
Stowing the Cargo.—In the stowage the first consideration must
be given to safety, i.e., the cargo must be stowed so that the ship will be
stable and seaworthy, and it must be secured in such a manner that it
cannot shift if the vessel encounters bad weather.
Then care must be taken to stow it so that it will not be damaged
either by contact with, or proximity to, other kinds of cargo which
would injuriously affect it, or from water which may find its way into the
interior of the vessel, or from the sweating of ironwork, etc. Care must
also be taken to prevent it being pilfered or damaged whilst being stowed.
Where cargo is being shipped for several ports, arrange it so that you
can conveniently discharge it at each port in rotation in the order you
visit them, so that none shall be over earned.
Deck Cargoes.—The mate's receipts and bills of lading should be
signed Ckat shippers' iisk'J; this, however, does not exempt the ship from
claims arising from damage due to carelessness in stowing and securing
the deck cargo. Dangerous goods on deck, such as oils, acids, and
chemicals, should be in packages convenient for handling in case they
have to be jettisoned. Gases expand with heat and their containers
should be protected from the rays of the sun. Steering gear, boats, and
sounding pipes should be accessible; properly protected gangways fore
and aft should be provided for the crew.
Very heavy goods to be stowed over bulkheads and the beams
shored up from below. Dunnage to be laid diagonally on deck to avoid
buckling of plates., Everything to be well lashed down. Deck cargo
of an inflammable or corrosive nature not to be stowed on deck over a
hold in which explosives are carried.
With regard to the stowage of mixed cargoes apart from ensuring
that the hold is well ventilated, that the packages are properly dunnaged
on a level foundation, well secured and not likely to be damaged by
chafing and the heaviness of overstowed cargo, is to protect food-
stuffs from being tainted by the fumes of odorous goods. Eggs and
flour, for example, are easily tainted if stowed over apples, onions,
copra, new sawn timber, petroleum, etc.; they should be stowed in a
separate compartment if possible.
Rolls of paper are stowed on end; glass, slabs of marble and galvan-
ised iron on their edges. Copra contains oil, it is easily ignited and should
be stowed away from boiler space and from taintable "foods. When
loading cotton and wool in bales fire hoses should be connected, barrels
of water at hatchways and buckets handy, no smoking, spark arresteis
an funnels and ventilators.