The aim of ship’s officers and crewmembers on board should be to prevent
damage or deterioration whilst the cargo is under their care and to deliver it, as
far as possible, in as good condition and order as it was when received aboard. If
unacquainted with a certain type of cargo you should ascertain as to its nature and
any necessary precautions. Therefore, the Master and officers of all vessels
require a good working knowledge of the various kinds of cargo they are likely to
carry: their peculiar characteristics, liability to damage, decay, or deterioration,
their measurement, and the usual methods of packing, loading and discharging,
stowage, dunnaging, etc., as the Master is responsible for the safe loading of his
vessel and the proper stowage of the cargo.
The actual handling of the cargo in loading and discharging is done by
stevedores, who are experienced men appointed for this purpose when a vessel
arrives at a port. This does not release the Master from the responsibility for the
safety of the ship and cargo, and he must supervise the work of the stevedores for
general safety.