Ships At Sea

Ships At Sea

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SAS Cargo Hold Stats
By baobobafet
What cargo movers need to know + Cargo specs for Tier 1,2 & 3 boats - update 03/18/2025
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Contents
1.Cargo Moving Tips

In v0.8 there are 3 new entries into the cargo mover column. The tier3 Skomcat, the immense Nordland and the tier2 Conquest. (Conquest can now be reconfigured to move cargo in shipyard)
Edit: Now the tier 3 Turbo has also been added the ability to carry cargo.



Note: Because v0.8 public beta is changing as I write this, I will add commentary where v0.8 varies from v07.5 going forwards.

Some new additions in v0.8:

New UI gauges (UI is still WIP)
Damage meter that remains visible anywhere aboard ship
Overall better resolution map
Minimize minimap option F1
Large map nav screen on tier3 dash.
Bow thruster on Nordland - Now working (see "Bow Thruster" section)
Onboard cranes with long reach - (see "Cranes" section)
Better detail in surrounds boats lights buildings, lighting added to some wharfs.
More Buoy placements
New autopilot modes - manual overide prioritized (See "Autopilot" section)
Radar update
At least two unofficial lighthouses added to the map. One in Rost the other near Ellevnsnyken - (presumably for some cargo & service missions)
Local fish habitats added.
Date settings now written as Jun 15, Y2025 over original 06/15/2025 numeric style
Cargo drop and pick up locations at large harbors are now larger and more generalized so you can pick up or drop medium and large cargo at a single crane location.
(The ability to pass cargo from one crane to another has been disabled. Useful when a crane stopped functioning or in moving cargo to closest crane near boat)


With the v0.8 update comes 4 new additions to the cargo carrier fleet.
Some boats are pending (until their cargo ability is properly implemented)

The new vessels are:
Tier2 Conquest - Can be refit for carrying cargo at expense of removing longline or netfishing gear.
Tier3 Skomcat - at 26kts almost as fast as the Skarven's 28kts
Tier3 Nordland - The only ship with onboard cranes, captains cabin, bow thruster and a massive 20x12.5 grid cargo deck.
Tier3 Turbo - fishing vessel has cargo storage for a 4x4 grid inside the bow.
The Skarven lost some cargo storage space in v0.8 Unknown if this will be restored in any future update. Cargo space reduced from 5x5 to 3x3.


Note:
Due to v0.8 public-test being unreliable for making progress in game atm, I would recommend playing the previous v0.7.5 or wait until v0.8 saves are more reliable.
If you can't resist trying v0.8, I would consider making a backup of any v0.7.5 saves first.
(or at least try not to overwrite ALL your v0.7.5 saves so you have a fall back you can try re-import)

IMPORTANT Note: The only version that is possible to downgrade to as of March 16 2025 seems to be v0.7.2. If you are still playing the 0.7.5 version, you may again, want to wait before making the jump to v0.8. since you can not fall back to v0.7.5 at this time.


v0.7.5 info
A quick overview of how the v7.5 cargo delivery system works: (same mechanics as in v0.8)

In order for players to now get credit for their cargo deliveries, they must activate the mission via the logbook or by hitting "TAB" then "Company" then choose the correct cargo mission to activate before making their delivery.

Placement of crates near cranes at piers no longer relies on placing incoming cargo within yellow dotted lines. The system now has a pointer (when mission active) that points to where the cargo should be dropped.

Areas that cargo can be placed are highlighted in green - as you place your cargo, check to see if the cargo is being registered as dropped (top right corner). If not, try to drop it at some adjacent spot. If all this fails, check if you have moved the correct cargo.
(in v0.7.5 some cases can occur with identical cargo and addressing, so be aware)

Edit: One method that can work is if you have a case where 3 single boxes are all destined for Vaeroy from Rost. Check to see if the payout is different. On your boat, stack the highest payout box on top with lowest payout on bottom. (or place from left to right..) When delivering goods, you can then ID mission from payout and choose the appropriate box to drop at the destination pallet.
Sometimes you can use the distance a package has to travel - same destination usually means separate drop locations. (This has been changed in v0.8 to unified drop locations at large harbors)

Cargo can now be stacked in various ways up to a certain height limit on boats. (see below)
Cargo size and height stack limits depend on vessel used.
2.Basic grid pattern used to store cargo

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/35562319011622246/7530FAAA21A214D871522B668F160D2A710B348B/?imw=256&&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=falseGrid diagram illustrating cubic units (cu) and how they relate to various cargo sizes.


Hoping this will help people use their cargo space a little more wisely.

Until cargo item size become identifiable in the mission roster by some unit of measure, (&/or by a representative image of the cargo) it will be up to player experience and knowledge of cargo sizes, or by trial and error to determine if some items of cargo will fit on your boat. (if it turns out you have more cargo than your boat can handle, you can always cancel that delivery in the company missions screen)

As a form of measure, I will be adopting cardboard boxes (from v7.5), since it is the smallest existing cargo item. (discounting the 10kg fishfood packs as well as the new halfsize toolboxes and milk crates introduced in v0.8)

What is a 'cubic unit' (cu)?
Because one box is exactly 1/2 of a cube 0.5cu, two boxes will comprise one cube, aka 1(cu)
or 1 Cubic Unit. (also represented by 4 halfsize milk crates stacked like a cube)


Above image from the original SAS cargo carriers (still showing Skarven with it's 5x5 cargo load)

(Tier 1) Fixer Available cargo space = 3x4x1cu
= 24 cardboard boxes (12cu)

(Tier 1) Roster Available cargo space = 4x5x2cu
= 80 cardboard boxes (40cu)

(Tier 2) DrPhil Available cargo space = 6x6x2cu
= 144 cardboard boxes (72cu)

(Tier 2) Skarven Available cargo space = 5x5x2cu (changed to 4x4x2 in v0.8)
= 100 cardboard boxes (50cu)
Note: Hotfix - Public Update 0.7.5.1026 has a bug in the Skarven related to carrying cargo.
Update 24/12/25 Found a work-around for the Skarven cargo problem:
I have carried the equivalent of 34 cardboard boxes (17cu) but it only works if you put all cargo in the aft cargo section of the boat. (don't know if problem resolved in v0.8)

Note: 'Service boats' like Fixer & Skarven can not carry medium cargo
(Exception: Skarven CAN carry barrels - even though it may be "labelled" medium cargo)

Fixer can only stack 2 cardboard boxes. It seems to have a height limit of 1 cubic unit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In some cases 1 level of cardboard boxes or same sized grocery baskets can be loaded on top of crates, barrels and other cargo items that are not yet at the max 2cu height.




Comparison of v0.8 container in size to other cargo.

...updates pending
3.Cranes
With the new addition of cranes onboard ship in v8.08 specifically the Nordland cargo vessel, a new level of flexibility in moving cargo is available. The new onboard crane - (with option to add a second) has an impressive design and I have already been acquainting myself with it's abilities and limitations.
At the moment the Nordland's default crane is able to populate only the areas of the cargo deck that are not immediately surrounding itself. This requires either harbor cranes or the addition of a second Nordland crane to access those immediate areas around the original crane in order to pick up or drop medium and large cargo items there.

The Nordland's onboard crane is very different from the harbor cranes with their swaying hooks on a tether. The new crane has for all intensive purpose no cable, the hook is attached at the end of a telescoping arm that dips up and down to deliver cargo to various points.
It is a very elegant system, that tries to reduce the issue of swaying cargo.

The physics still seem to be a work in progress with cargo not always going exactly where you might like to place an item - so the harbor cranes are still better for fine tolerance placement of cargo among other cargo at this time.
The crane on the Nordland has a peculiarity that causes the pickup reticle to move backwards and forward as the arc of the crane moves up and down. This can make placement of cargo in front or behind other cargo challenging. The crane has two move-able joints, in order for the crane to get maximum reach, the lower joint needs to be bent so that it is parallel with the horizon.
(requires making sure the upper joint is bent upwards before moving the lower joint down)
Once done, the crane should be able to reach or place virtually any cargo on the dock.

Athough longer cranes have been added since v0.7.5, the original tier2 cranes have been removed likely to return in a future SAS version.
Picture of original Tier2 cranes at the dock

In cases when loading crates using the harbor crane, and space is a concern, try to place crates into the boat that are closest to the dock - this often works because all other crates if placed exactly beside it, will snap into place.

Because the cargo grid has many additional offsets,(making placing cargo very flexible and organic) it is easy to not place cargo on the exact edges (and corners) of the available cargo space.

After some experience, you will no doubt have developed your own system and will know when you have placed a crate correctly at those points.

Often important with larger loads:
Make sure the boat is close to the pier, if it is not - go to the moorings and hit the "E" when the prompt occurs. Keep doing it until you are as close as you are able to move the boat.
In some cases when moving cargo, you may find turning the boat around when loading/unloading cargo is the best solution. A little foresight when approaching dock is often rewarded in time saved.

Also new is the enlarged docking area that adds flexibility to where you can park your boat and have access to the crane. For maximum reach, generally the best place to park a cargo boat is where a crane's base meets the middle of the boat's cargo area.
With Tier 3 ships, sometimes mooring on the very edge of a docking zone can have benefits that allow easier reaching or placing of cargo using an available onboard crane.
-------------------------------------------
(Note: crane to crane transfers have been disabled in v0.8)
Cranes that are within reach of each other can transfer cargo between them. This can save time in some cases to avoid moving your boat. (It should be mentioned that in circumstances, a crane will glitch and not be able to pick up cargo) The only fix I have found for this is a save reload.

4.Cargo Stacking
A really nice aspect of SAS cargo handling and a continuation of the original tetris style placement system, now upgraded to it's 3D variant.

At the moment there are height limits in place for stacking cargo items, so no cargo stack will exceed the height of 2cu.

If you try to place an item on top of anything at 2cu, it will show a red outline of your cargo, indicating a placement there is not allowed.

In version 0.8 here is a new height stacking limit of 3 cubic units, bu this seems to be limited to the Nordland cargo ship at the present time.

-------------------
Some thoughts:
This could open up opportunities, in the future to have an additional color added, so that if you add a layer above 2cu, it will turn amber, instead of red. Such a perk might be earned by having XP at a high enough level.
It should come with the responsibilities of periodic checks (fasteners?) on the cargo while in transit.
Risk of cargo loss for 'amber' placed items could be increased, especially without such checks.
5.Cargo loading screenshots with comments


Playing around with the crane in Rost while loading my DrPhil, I discovered a useful feature due to the new reach of the cranes as well as the ability to put cargo down in adjacent cargo spots.

As illustrated in the above screenshot, it has always been possible using two cranes, to pass cargo between them. The main advantage being, you could often avoid having to reposition your boat. The downside was always, having to do this for each cargo item. (crane to crane hand-offs are no longer possible in v0.8)

Well that part hasn't really changed but, instead of having to move back and forth multiple times on each crane - you can now drop the cargo into a place the other crane can reach.

If you haven't figured out by now how to swing the crane backwards and forwards, this would be a good time to learn. Often the crates are slightly out of reach but can be easily snagged by swinging the crane hook back and forth, (or in some cases left and right) slightly above the cargo eyelet. A little practice and you will even be able to cast it by hitting the 'S' key briefly at the last second to capture the cargo. This is a skill well worth practice, as I have found it can save a lot of time and aggravation in loading and unloading cargo items.


The new Nordland onboard crane in v0.8. In this shot the Nordland is going to extreme measures to fine position itself at the front edge of the docking zone, in order to be able to pick up cargo at the dock. Some issues dealing with crane flexibility in v0.08 that will hopefully be resolved soon.

Alternatives to repositioning the boat to be able to access cargo on dock so that your ship is parked further away from the moorings can allow the onboard crane to place and pick up cargo it might not otherwise be able to do.
If you are not in a hurry and don't want to maneuver your ship while close to the dock, you can unmoor - in hopes your ship will drift away from the dock enough to allow re-mooring it from further away.
Edit: with the new working Bow thruster on the Nordland, it is now possible to do a 180 degree about face at the dock side. (see section on Bow Thruster)
6.Splitting Cargo Over Two Trips
Repost from Suggestions: "Cargo Weight and the New Placement System"
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/1266540/discussions/1/7004880943562454916/

Some observations running cargo between Rost and Vaeroy

For cargo that is too large for the boat to carry in one run.

My experience in those cases is to leave the remaining cargo at the loading pier.
Drop off all full loads of cargo at the destination, then take on a few new cargo missions for the trip back.

Some careful juggling with incoming and outgoing cargo can allow stashing the partial cargo load near one of the destination cranes. (this is where you may or may not pick right)

Pick the wrong crane in a multi crane port for stashing your goods near, and you may need to transport all of you 'stashed' cargo over to the other crane - to complete the mission. (this is an unavoidable risk, atm) (This issue is somewhat resolved in v0.8 due to all cargo drop locations at main ports Rost and Vaeroy are valid for any cargo destined there)

Go back to the original port where the last remaining pieces of cargo are waiting to be transported. Grab a few more delivery missions, then go back to the port where you stashed your cargo.

Activate that mission (Ignore any 'pickup cargo' message that might pop up, esp in large ports as an indicator of where you will need to drop your cargo.)

If you picked the right delivery pad, the cargo status indicator will show the number of items delivered to the pad. Add to the pad whatever cargo is still onboard to complete the mission.

If you picked wrong you will need to move all the cargo to the other crane and try again.

Is it worth doing?
It depends, some of the larger 5 crate missions when using the Teir2 DrPhil might benefit from split loads to add more cargo flexibility on runs.

Teir1 Roster has no choice if accepting the large 5 crate missions, since it can only carry 4.

Maybe worth doing because you can? :)

PS Tip: If planing to stash cargo, easier to stash 1 item than 4 - so save the large part of your delivery for last.
7.Cargo weight


Delving into the fish food products for fish farms, gives some clues on possible cargo weight as it relates to cargo sizes.

According to the weight of fishfood and the size of a bag's footprint, some ranges can be surmised;
Presently there are three cargo sizes: XS (extra small), S (small), M (medium).
It takes two 10kg (2x5)bags of fishfood to fill the same footprint as a cardboard box.
Therefore one could assume the box to weigh in the range of 20kg.
Since the upper limit of XS cargo is below 50kg, the box 'could' weight as much as 49.9kg



So:
One cardboard box can weigh between 20kg and 49.9kg classed as X/S for 'Extra Small' cargo.
Footprint is 1 x 1cu height 0.5cu.

In the space of one 50kg bag of fishfood, weight can be up to 99kg and still be classed as 'Small' cargo. Footprint is 1.5 x 1.5cu height 1.5cu.

In the space of one 100kg bag of fishfood, weight can be up to 1000kg and is classed as 'Medium' cargo.
Footprint is 1.5 x 1.5cu height 1.5cu for 100kg bag
Footprint is 2 x 2cu height 1.5cu for 500kg bag
Footprint is 2 x 2cu height 2cu for 1000kg bag

Fish food bags are unique cargo at this point and have collision mesh on, so you have to walk around them if they are cargo on your boat.
(In v0.08 all cargo has collision on)

TBD

Weight of auxiliary smolt or fuel tanks as well as onboard fuel, are still ripe areas to examine in how and in what way they effect ship buoyancy and control.

The Roster is definitely sitting lower in the water once carrying cargo. Whether there are degrees of sitting lower in the water is harder to determine without some reliable yardstick (typically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_line_(watercraft) )
EDIT: After the Skarven displayed such sensitivity to weight (made apparent in the recent bug),
It may be inferred that cargo weight has an effect on how much a craft is submerged.

Other effects should manifest as slower to pick up speed and slower to decrease speed (enertia). Turn radius, sideslip and should all be affected by how much the hull is submerged.

Weight of cargo
Without knowing the actual weight of each cargo item and the load bearing capability of the boat there are no numbers to work with to help decide the risk of taking any craft out into open water. Does cargo placement affect the balance of the boat? - Yes it does.
A boat trim tilt gauge or inclinometer could help determine by how much in calm water.

Where are the fuel tanks placed on the boat? Should their placement and fuel level have a ballast effect on the boat?

Wanting to know what type of bottom clearance there was on each of the SAS boats, I did a physical comparison of how submerged the hull was on each of the available SAS boats.
(More on this in my SAS Navigation Guide)

Here is the image that shows comparisons between cargo and service vessels.
8.Cargo & Balancing your Boat
A good way to remember the port side of a boat from the starboard, is the phrase:
'There is no port left.'
When at the helm Starboard will always be to your right.

While loading my DrPhil with cargo, I decided to test whether or not loading up only the Starboard side of the boat would have a noticeable effect on the balance of the boat.
After a few observations of the waterline outside the boat from both fore and aft, it was obvious that cargo balance is indeed a factor. The boat was definitely leaning towards starboard.


One way that SAS devs could help players do a better job of balancing their boats, is to give players another tool. An inclinometer (or some times called a clinometer) can be a simple pendulum device, two small curved liquid filled leveling tubes with markings placed on or in the dashboard:
(often accompanied by a second one at a right angle , to measure fore and aft heeling)

Or a more current electronic variant available on a monitor screen. ie:
https://www.jlgmarine.com/products/electronic-inclinometer/
https://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/nanjing-ninglu-technology-co-ltd/product-200347-593042.html



Checking boat performance:
I did a few turns with the boat to both port and starboard - and there seemed no question the boat was turning tighter to starboard than to port. My impression was that the hull being more submerged on the starboard side, was allowing for this tighter turn with less slip.

On a side note:
Single engine boats turn a tighter radius to port than starboard due to the right hand rotation of the prop pulling the stern to starboard when going forward.
Don't know if this is modeled in SAS - but if you see your boat pulling to starboard on some mission, try moving some cargo to the port side to see if that helps correct the issue.
9.Speed
Since travel speed has now become more important due to time limits on deliveries in v0.8.
In v0.7.5 the fastest boat was the Skarven - It is still the fastest, even in v0.8.

Documented speeds: 2025-02-27 (confirmed)
Skarven .............28kts
Skomcat ............26kts
Fixer ..................16- 16.2kts
Flippy ...............14.3kts
DrPhil ................14 -14.2kts
Conquest ..........13kts
Roster ..............11.8-12kts
Turbo ................10.5kts
Nordland ..........10kts
10.Autopilot Functions
In v0.08 Automatic Manual overide now exists when AP is on so rudder is now always functional even when AP is on.

The main functional difference between v0.7.5 auto pilot and v0.08's is how the AP waypoints are displayed. In v0.7.5 It was only a matter of placing flags, well aside from the other features, it is still pretty much the same with the flags turning into a new type of waypoint icon.
You still get to keep the flags (if you want)

The new waypoint icons are easily distinguished from flag waypoint icons - unless the AP course has been updated to include them.

The major difference involves once you place waypoint flags, you now need to transform or add them to the AP course. This can be done in 2 ways:
Hit "P" once, it should add any new AP icons to where your flags have been placed.

You can keep your flags in place. (recommended atm, since the AP plot will be deleted by hitting "P" again) but can be restored just as easily, so long as your flags are still on the map screen.

Each time you hit "P" you will cycle through all the AP modes till you get to "P" again and it will update your AP course with any new flags you have added.

The other method that does not allow saving of the flag positions involves going to the AP terminal screen, selecting NAV with "E" to transform your flags into AP icons.

v0.8 AUTO STOP
The autostop function if activated by CMD button will stop your ship at the end of the course. To see if it is engaged you need to look at the left bottom of AP screen and see a circle with "STOP" in the middle (may be hard to see unless brightness is adjusted)


v0.8 AUTO vs NAV setting
Info on the AP console's Auto setting:
(do this only if you don't mind losing your existing waypoint flags)

If you turn off the AP then set a heading, you can lock in that heading by toggling ON the Auto function at the console (disables the NAV function.)
Now when you cycle through all the AP modes you will see Auto instead of NAV.

If you decide you want to go back to setting your course with flags, place your flags on the map and next time you cycle through the AP modes the NAV function will have returned and new AP course set.

You can also turn NAV function back on at the console - but that will delete your flags.

The Auto setting works best with the rudder bias system to compensate for wind pushing the ship from a direct line to the destination from your set compass heading.

I have found that the best way to use this so that the bias can be maintained is by going to game settings and turning on "Rudder Control". This stops the rudder from autocentering so you will need to pay more attention to rudder position after use.


some quick Defn:
"COG" stands for Course Over Ground, which is the resultant (straight line) direction between any two points on a vessel's track.

"SOG" stands for Speed Over Ground and represents the actual speed of progress with respect to the earth. It is measured by satellite receivers and is free from the effects of sea currents.
11.Bow Thruster
v0.8 Nordland Bow Thruster

It is really great to finally have this added maneuverability for the Nordland.
Using it makes it possible to rotate the Nordland 180 degrees to face the opposite direction while still close to the dock. (This also opens up more dock access possibilities for the Nordland cranes)

The Bow Thruster works in either Automatic Gear or Manual
Gear shift settings can be changed using the default PgUP - PgDN controls.
The transition between forward drive and bow thruster seems to operate through having to either turn engine off then on - or if you can get the manual shift to work find neutral that way.
Requires setting up under 'settings/gameplay' the Automatic Gear switch to Off.




Visual check, look to see if Red shift is positioned in center to know if you are in Bow thruster mode. The bow thruster disables the main engine and forward motion of the ship (in present design) Hopefully a patch will address this and allow it independent use.

Once in Neutral the bow thruster can be used via Shift + A or D (notice Bow thruster HUD display)

Caution, the thruster controls operate opposite to the movement of the rudder.
Depending on whether the engine throttle is at a high enough level, the ship should start to rotate in the direction chosen.

Once your heading is achieved, center the bow thruster control and power down, then after, change gear or move throttle forward. Failing that, turn engine off than on again to regain main engine prop control.

Below part not applicable yet, hopefully addressed soon:
(Bow thrusters lose most of their efficiency if the ship is traveling beyond 2-4kts because of the vacuum created at the bow so they aren't much use out at sea except for maybe slight course correction during winds.)

Until the bow thruster becomes independently controllable from the main engine, usage while on any course will not be possible. Neither will the ability to reduce ship turn radius by using both rudder and thruster at the same time.
12.Safe Navigation
Some areas of the map will damage your vessel, so it's a good idea to have a heads up on where those might be. Some such areas are obvious, some are not. Even the autopilot will plot a course over a dangerous reef and consider it a legit track - so beware. Check your map and try to stay clear of iffy areas when relying on your autopilot. Check your boat periodically while enroute for damage and repair as necessary.

More helpful Info on safe navigation and tips can be found in my Nav Guide:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3377574919
13.Tier 3 Cargo & Service Ships
Here I will supply as much relevant information as well as images of the new ships and previewed cargo items - including the first of the classic container style.

Size of Roster is 8.5 meters (28ft) in length.
Size of DrPhil is 11 meters (36ft) in length.
Size of Skarven is 13 meters (42.5ft) in length.
Size of Fixer is 6.5 meters (21ft) in length.
Size of Conquest is 9.2 meters (30.2ft) in length
Size of Skomcat is 27 meters (88.6ft) in length
Size of Nordland is 27 meters (88.6ft) in length
Size of Turbo is 27 meters (88.6ft) in length


Forward view
The Tier 3 Service Ship has cargo storage as well.
Some of the new types of tier 2 & tier 3 cargo.
Note: Typical 'cube container' size is 10x10x8ft (3x3x2.5m)
Some variations are smaller - starting at 5ft, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft & 9ft.
14.Future Cargo container ships in SAS

SAS Tier 5 - Container Ship

Since there is no information regarding sizes of shipping containers that will be introduced into SAS, all that can be done is make some small assumptions that they will be stacked using a similar system as already exists - &/or (and IMO preferable) have some mechanism that the player has to secure after the placing the container. This would open up the possibility for cargo loss in heavy seas if the player was not diligent - another game play opportunity as well as realistic consequence.


There are a few devices used to connect cargo containers together, including:

Twistlocks
These are inserted into the corner castings of containers and lock them together.

Bridge fitting clamps
These are used to connect containers side to side or end to end. They fit into container corner castings and are made of drop forged steel.

Twist lock stacking pins
These are used to secure containers on top of each other. They are made of cast steel and have a galvanized finish.

Bolts and nuts
These can be used to secure containers together. They can be removed to change the layout or move the structure.

TIG welding
This method uses a tungsten electrode to create an arc and a separate filler material to form a weld. It produces high-quality welds but requires more skill and practice than MIG welding.

Containers are also secured on ships using lashing rods between the stack and bridges or hatch covers.


Use of any one of the above container securing systems in SAS could only contribute to further immersion from employing the practice of safety protocols onboard real life container transports.

One other important note: in rough seas, even with the best precautions, failures in equipment and stress on couplings will (& should) occur, requiring (hopefully timely) replacement. :)

FYI
According to available data, the average number of container ship accidents, specifically referring to lost containers at sea, is estimated to be around 1,000 to 1,500 containers per year, with some reports showing spikes in certain years where significantly more containers are lost overboard; however, the exact number can vary depending on the source and data collection methods used.

When SAS gets container ships added to it's fleet, will it model cargo loss at sea? Most cargo is lost from insecure stacking &/or storms. Floating containers are navigational hazards that can sink or cripple boats and ships. If a container can be salvaged, there is usually a reward, if not it is scuttled and sunk.
In those type scenarios SAS players could put an electronic tag and flasher on the hazard for later recovery using a vessel with an onboard crane or towing system.

For a more in depth discussion on cargo loss:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/1266540/discussions/1/4632610585628983609/
15.Further Reading on Commercial Cargo Ships
3 Comments
baobobafet  [author] 4 Jan @ 4:18pm 
Sorry to be so late in appreciating the feedback. Your experience is most valuable (20 years! you must be salty :) I've done some arc welding, mostly on industrial trailers - hitches and pin boxes largely, nothing at sea though. I imagine having cargo get loose while at sea has to be a big concern.
moyer4487 27 Dec, 2024 @ 9:31pm 
anyways thats my 2 cents on the subject. i have been a welder and mechanic on ships for 20 years now and have seen my fair share of interesting situations
moyer4487 27 Dec, 2024 @ 9:30pm 
i will say i never used TIG or MIG to secure cargo to the deck. i have only done that with stick. often ships don't have a TIG or MIG setup on them. thats usually because a shileding gas is need. although there are some wires for MIG that don't require gas but they do take up space and weight around 50 pounds per spool. stick welding rods take up little space and some rods do require a small heater to keep humidity out of the flux. such as a 7018 welding electrode. which is my favorite to use. i have never welded containers do or welded them together. its always been cargo in odd shapes or lashing is not enough or won't work for various reasons. i have welded massive cranes and their parts down to the deck before and some construction equipment and other items. i have welded down many different shaped eyes for cargo chains or straps to use because standard locations would not work or did not have the rated strength for the cargo.