Cargo Stowage Factor in Depth Part 1

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I wrote a while back on Bulk Cargo Stowage Factor, since that this something which a lot of you readers are searching. I feel there is a need to further explain.

 

As explained. The cargo stowage factor tells owners how many cubic meters of hold space will be occupied by a ton of any given kind of cargo. It determines how much cargo can be fitted into the ship or, conversely, how much hold volume must be provided if the ship is to accommodate its full deadweight. The density of cargoes varies widely as shown by the figures. since the stowage factor relates to the space actually taken up by the cargo in the ship, this obviously depends on how well the ship is designed to accommodate the cargo. For example, it is possible to fit much more packaged timber into a purpose built bulk carrier than into a general purpose bulk carrier with self trimming holds.

 

Given such a wide range of stowage factors, the ship designer must have some idea what cargoes are to be carried before he/she can determine the internal cubic capacity of the vessel.

For example,if the ship is to be used to carry only iron ore, it can be designed with cargo spaces that will accommodate a dense commodity stowing at 0.5 cubic meters per ton, whereas if it is to be used for commodities such as coal or grain, an internal cubic capacity of about 1.4 cubic meters per ton is required, and this is the capacity of the average general purpose bulk carrier.