A heavily laden merchant ship sits deeper in the water and can face greater danger in storms. Loose cargo creates its own problems at sea, illustrated by reference to bulk-carrying ships on the Great Lakes. Designing a stable hull does not remove the need to limit and manage the load. The comparison with containers separates convenient cargo handling from the problems a ship must withstand once at sea.
Notable Point · 54:07-54:44
Cargo loading shaped stability in storms
The amount and arrangement of cargo could leave a merchant ship deep in the water and vulnerable even when the hull was designed for stability.