STATION 2 OF 5
The Deck.
Everything that happens in the open air — mooring, lashing, maintenance and the strange geometry of a working hull.
Everything on deck is either enormous and still or under tension. These guides walk the open air of a working hull — the lines that hold it to the quay, the hardware that keeps a thousand boxes from moving, the painted mark that says how deep it may sit, and what actually happens when the anchor goes down.
READ AT THIS STATION
Six Lines Holding Forty Thousand Tonnes
A description of a mooring arrangement — springs, breasts, headlines — and the forces a berthed ship exerts on them in weather or tide.
The Hardware Between One Box and the Next
A walk-through of container securing — twist-locks, lashing rods, bridge fittings — and the sequence in which they are applied.
The Mark on Every Hull
An explainer of the Plimsoll mark — what each zone line means, why fresh water and salt water require different marks, and who assigns them.
When the Ship Stops Without a Berth
A practical description of anchoring — how scope is calculated, what holding ground means, why a ship at anchor is never entirely still.