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Stowage Assist
HR Nienhuis
2
Instruction Manual
Stowage Assist
2
Stowage Assist
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Table of Contents
Getting started....................................................................................................................................... 5
Why Stowage Assist? .......................................................................................................................... 5
What is Stowage Assist? ..................................................................................................................... 5
How does it work? .............................................................................................................................. 5
Features ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Structure of Folders ............................................................................................................................ 7
Installation ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Strategy .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Mission ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Architecture ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Which type of machine can you use? ................................................................................................. 8
Best practices ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Release Notes ........................................................................................................................................ 9
1.0.1............................................................................................................................................ 9
1.0.2............................................................................................................................................ 9
1.0.1 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.0.2 ................................................................................................................................................... 9
License ................................................................................................................................................. 10
End User License Agreement for Stowage Assist.............................................................................. 10
1. License scope ........................................................................................................................... 10
2. Intellectual property ................................................................................................................ 10
3. Consideration ........................................................................................................................... 10
4. Updates .................................................................................................................................... 10
5. Support .................................................................................................................................... 11
6. Guarantees and liability........................................................................................................... 11
7. Term of the agreement ............................................................................................................ 11
8. Miscellaneous terms ................................................................................................................ 12
Installation ........................................................................................................................................... 12
First things first................................................................................................................................. 12
Summary of installation ................................................................................................................... 13
Running the Applications .................................................................................................................... 14
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Running the first program ‘Vessel’ ................................................................................................... 14
Running the program ‘Combinations’ .............................................................................................. 17
Running the program ‘Carene’ ......................................................................................................... 18
Running the program ‘Tankdata’ ...................................................................................................... 19
Running the program ‘Bunkers’........................................................................................................ 21
Running the program ‘Stowage Assist’ ............................................................................................. 24
Products ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Manual Stowing ............................................................................................................................ 28
Semi-Automatic Stowing ............................................................................................................... 29
History .......................................................................................................................................... 30
Trim and draft ............................................................................................................................... 32
File New, Load, Save ..................................................................................................................... 34
Rotation ........................................................................................................................................ 34
Stowage plan ................................................................................................................................ 35
Print features ................................................................................................................................ 35
Trouble Shooting and Maintenance .............................................................................................. 36
About the Author .................................................................................................................................. 37
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Getting started
Why Stowage Assist?
As stowing tankers is very common, we believe that simplified and visual stowing is a trivial tool in
our daily work which helps us to feel a little bit more in control. In response to this need, a lot of
companies have started developing their own stowing programs in the past few decades on excel
base.
Nowadays we have a myriad of excel base programs that are often outdated and difficult to use. The
goal of Stowage Assist is to solve these problems and to provide every planner / operator in this
world with their own ecological, affordable, easy-to-use and innovative stowage solution. Read
more about our strategy here.
What is Stowage Assist?
Stowage Assist is a low time-consuming stowing solution, that uses self-created databases for each
ship that it is installed on. Stowage Assist is closed source so not everyone can customize the source
code to its needs and share it with the community under the GPL. When deployed on the Windows
64-bit, the program has a green footprint and it's easy to install; simply download the Stowage
Assist zip file from our web shop www.stowageassist.nl and run the MSI installers as described under
Installation.
How does it work?
After Stowage Assist has been installed on a Windows 64-bit environment, six applications are
available: the Vessel, Combination, Carene, Tankdata, Bunkers and the Stowage Assist application.
The Vessel application is responsible for creating your ship’s particulars. These fields need to be filled
in and stored. All data will be stored into a file named Particulars.rnd in the folder with the name of
the vessel it is installed on. In this folder the rest of the databases, which will be generated by the
other applications, will be stored.
The Combinations application is responsible for storing the amount and type of tanks your tankers
have, by volume of 100%. When all tank volumes are inserted and saved by means of a generator, all
possible combinations of tanks will be created and stored in the same database.
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The Carene application is responsible for the volume of the water displacement of your ship at each
possible draft of the ship in seawater density, with an interval of 10 cm draft increase. Together with
the location of Unit Trim Moment (ETM), Longitude Centre of Flotation (LCF) and LCB Longitude
Centre of Buoyance (LCB) at that particular draft. This data will be stored in a database and used for
the correct trim, draft’s and list calculation, at your created stowage, in the Stowage Assist
application.
The Tankdata application is responsible for the database which contains all spaces on board that can
have certain volumes, e.g. weights of various kind. Start with the cargo tanks of your ship and after
that follow the list as per General Arrangement Plan. All spaces must also have their position
mentioned as per situation on board against the aft perpendicular and from the amidships. This data
will also be used to calculate the trim, draft’s and list in the Stowage Assist application.
The Bunkers application is responsible for keeping the bunkers situation up to date. In this
application the Engineers can fill in the volumes of the spaces and holds that are not cargo tanks, e.g.
Heavy Fuel Oil, Gas Oil, Lubricating oil, Freshwater and Miscellaneous tanks, on an everyday basis.
The Stowage Assist application will use this data for its trim, draft’s and list calculations.
The Stowage Assist application is responsible for each stowage plan, which will be created, the
Cargoes database, which will be created when a new product has been filled in for stowing, the
History database, when a voyage has been stored in the history for each cargo tank involved and the
trim, draft’s and list situation for each newly created stowage.
The first four applications, Vessel, Combinations, Carene and Tankdata need to be created and filled
in only the first time. As long as there are no adjustments to the ship’s layout, these databases will
remain the same.
The last two applications, Bunker and Stowage Assist can be manipulated on a daily basis.
Features
Stowage Assist comes with a couple of features. Below you can find a short list of the most
important ones. Creating your own specific cargoes database. Possibility to print your cargoes database in excel format or notepad (ASCII – table) format. Creating an up-to-date last cargo history database. Possibility to print your last cargoes per voyage in excel format. Create your stowage for the next voyage, manually and semi-automatic. Possibility to print your stowage plan in excel format.
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Create your weight list for that specific stowage plan. Possibility to print your weight list in excel format.
Structure of Folders
After the installation, Stowage Assist has its unique structure of folders. The partition where it will
be installed has no restriction for its process of working (see figure 1). However, its structure of
folders has this restriction.
Installation
Installing Stowage Assist to your network, has never been so easy. By using our MSI installer, you
can run the first application within 1 minute. Indeed, we also think that's awesome!
Figure 1
..:/Stowage
Assist
/Data/Ships's Name
Relevant db's
/Image Logo.png
/SW.exe, uninstall
and .dll
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Strategy
In this section we'll explain the strategy of Stowage Assist in terms of goals, design/architecture and user experience.
Mission
As you may have read on the Getting started page, Stowage Assist’s goal is to be an easy-to-use
stowing program that works on Windows 64-bit environment.
Before Stowage Assist was designed or even thought of, we've found a lot of different stowing
solutions available in the market, most of which are for project cargoes and containers.
We at Stowage Assist wanted to do something about that. Our mission is all about creating a stowing
program solution with bleeding edge technologies, available for everyone in this world. With
Stowage Assist we even want to challenge excel solutions, by showing how powerful our software
is.
Architecture
Here you'll find the thoughts we had, and still have, while developing and architecture Stowage
Assist. These are the results of what Stowage Assist is today:
Creating a ship’s specific environment by use of databases and from here on preparing your
own unique stowage plan’s, cargoes database and history.
Requirements
Which type of machine can you use?
Stowage Assist runs on every Windows based machine with a 64-bit environment. We provide one
way (MSI) to install Stowage Assist on your device or network. If you wish to install Stowage Assist
on your local Windows machine or network, keep in mind that for printing purposes Excel and
Notepad should also be installed.
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Best practices
Stowage Assist can be used for one purpose: visually stowing products into tankers. Stowage Assist
cannot be used to replace a Cargo Master. The created stowage plan still needs to be checked
against the stability requirements and criteria in the Cargo Master.
Stowage Assist can be used on all type of tankers at sea or inland.
Release Notes
The first number stands for the programming language, the second number stands for the GUI and
the third number stands for the script in use.
1.0.1
1.0.2
1.0.1
First launch of Stowage Assist (01 July 2019)
Create the ship’s specific databases. Keeping the bunkers up to date on a daily base. Possibility to print a history of the bunkers in excel format. Visually stow products into tanks. Possibility to print the created stowage plan in excel format. Create the Cargoes database. Possibility to print the cargoes in excel format and notepad (ASCII –table) format. Keep a history database for each cargo tank. Possibility to print the history in excel format. Calculate the trim, draft’s and list for the created stowage plan. Possibility to print the weight list for that stowage plan in excel format.
1.0.2
First update of Stowage Assist(15 September 2019)
Color settings: Only bright colors to be used.
Product table inserted Load port and Dischaging port.
Possibility to name tanks, in the Tankdata, as per Owner’s requirement.
License Management implemented.
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License
End User License Agreement for Stowage Assist
1. License scope 1.1. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist hereby grants to the rightful acquirer of Stowage Assist you a right to
use this software. This right is limited to use by you within your company or other legal entity.
1.2. The software may be used on an unlimited number of computers within your vessel network
structure.
1.3. It is explicit forbidden to:
reverse engineer the source code of the software or to decompile the software, except to the extent permitted by mandatory law or applicable open source license;
provide copies of the software to third parties;
sublicense the software or otherwise make available the software to third parties, including by rental, Software-as-a-Service models or otherwise;
modify the software, except to the extent permitted by mandatory law;
remove indications of Nienhuis - Nautical Assist as copyright holder of the software or to remove or render illegible any part thereof.
1.4. You may make a backup copy of the software. This backup copy may not be used or traded or distributed in any way, except in conjunction with the original software.
2. Intellectual property 2.1. All right, title and interest to the software, the accompanying documentation and all modifications and extensions thereto rest and remain with Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. You only have the rights and permissions explicitly granted to you by this agreement or granted in writing otherwise. You may not use, copy, distribute or publish the software in any other manner. 2.2. The software comprises third-party open source software. The respective third-party rights holders grant you the rights indicated in the applicable open source licenses. These licenses can be found in the documentation. This end user license agreement does not apply to this open source software, and nothing in this agreement shall be construed as a limitation of any right granted to you under an open source license.
3. Consideration 3.1. You may use the software for a limited period at no charge for the purpose of evaluating if the software is right for you. After this period a one-time fee is due. The agreement terminates automatically in case you do not pay the fee after this period. You will be separately informed about the manner of payment by Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. 3.2. Use of the software requires activation. The software must be activated after a trial period of one month after installation. 3.3. To complete activation after the trial period you must acquire a license key from Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. The software will inform you about the procedure.
4. Updates 4.1. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist from time to time releases updates that address bugs or improve the functioning of the software. 4.2. To learn about the latest updates, consult the website of Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. No liability is accepted for any damage caused by bugs addressed in an update not installed by you. 4.3. An update may provide terms additional to the terms of this agreement. You will be informed in
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advance if this is the case and you will have an opportunity to refuse that update. By installing such an update, you accept the additional terms, which then become part of this agreement.
5. Support 5.1. You are solely responsible for installation and usage of the software. The documentation will provide recommended requirements for the hardware and software environment. 5.2. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist shall provide you with a reasonable level of support through its website and/or e-mail (or other communication channels announced to you). Nienhuis - Nautical Assist however does not guarantee that all requests for support or bug reports are taken into consideration.
6. Guarantees and liability 6.1. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist guarantees:
that the carrier on which the software is supplied, shall function in accordance with expectations for a period of 90 days after receipt (and will replace the carrier free of charge if not);
that Stowage Assist substantially operates as described in the documentation;
that Stowage Assist contains no viruses, backdoors or malicious routines;
that Stowage Assist violates no third-party rights (such as copyrights), excluding any violations arising out of a particular use of the software;
it will use its best efforts to investigate any reported bugs as soon as is practical and to repair such bug or create a workaround (but may delay repairing bugs with limited impact until the next planned update);
but nothing else.
6.2. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist will indemnify and hold you harmless for any claims by third party alleging a copyright infringement, a patent infringement, a personal data breach ("data leak"), an error in the software, but only if and to the extent the allegation is based in the software as delivered by Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. 6.3. In all cases you must report the allegation to Nienhuis - Nautical Assist as soon as possible and provide all reasonable support necessary to resolve the allegation. If no other options are available Nienhuis - Nautical Assist may terminate this agreement to resolve the allegation. 6.4. Except in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence or the violation of a warranty granted above Nienhuis - Nautical Assist is not liable towards you, regardless of ground, for any damages in connection with Stowage Assist. 6.5. No liability exists in case damages were not reported timely after discovery to Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. In addition, no liability exists if the cause of damage is beyond the control of Nienhuis - Nautical Assist.
7. Term of the agreement 7.1. This agreement enters into force when you start use of the software and remains in force for one year. 7.2. Unless the agreement is terminated at least one month prior to the end of this period, the term is extend with successive periods of equal length. 7.3. This agreement terminates automatically and immediately in case you enter into bankruptcy, apply for a suspension of payments, your assets are seized, or in case your company enter into liquidation, legal dissolution or winding-up. 7.4. After termination of the agreement (regardless of reason) you must cease all use of Stowage Assist. In addition, you must remove all copies (including backup copies) of Stowage Assist from all computer systems under your control.
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8. Miscellaneous terms 8.1. Dutch law applies to this end-user license agreement. 8.2. Unless dictated otherwise by mandatory law, all disputes arising in connection with this agreement shall be brought before the competent Dutch court for the principal place of business of Nienhuis - Nautical Assist. 8.3. A finding that any particular provision of this agreement is legally void shall not affect the validity of the entire agreement. In such a case the parties shall determine a replacement provision that is legally valid and approximates the intent of the offending provision as much as possible. 8.4. Nienhuis - Nautical Assist may assign its rights and obligations under this agreement to a third party that acquires the relevant business or the copyrights to Stowage Assist from her.
Installation
First things first
The reason you're on this page is because you want to know how to install Stowage Assist on your
local working station, server or any other Windows 64-bit environment you prefer. The good news is
that we have one approach on how to install it.
Before you start installing, it might be interesting to read about our requirements, best practices and
the architecture.
Download the MSI Stowage Assist #.#.# from our web shop www.stowageassist.com.
Note
The #.#.# stands for the latest version number.
Let’s begin the installation. In order to run the installation in Windows, make sure you are using an Administrator account.
Double click the MSI installer ‘Stowage Assist #.#.#.msi’ to run the installation. First, a popup will
appear (see figure 2).
By pressing ‘Next’ an installer notification will pop
up to ask for the installation folder. See figure 3.
Figure 2
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As seen in figure 3, the destination directory will be
C:\Stowage Assist\SW\. This partition of C: can be
replaced by the partition required by your Network or IT
agreements. The directory \Stowage Assist\SW\ cannot be
replaced.
By pressing ‘Next’ an installer notification will pop up to
ask if all is set to Install. See figure 4.
Choose ‘Install’ to start the installation.
Now an installer notification will pop up to ask permission
to install. Choose ‘Yes’ to start the installation.
After installation the pop up window can be closed by
pressing ‘Finished’.
Stowage Assist is now installed on your local network,
server or any other Windows 64-bit environment.
Summary of installation
On your desk accessories you now have the following icons, see figure 5.
At this stage the following directory trees have been created on the hard disk with partition name ..:,
see figure 6.
Figure 5
Figure 4
Figure 3
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Running the Applications
After successfully installing the six applications, you can run the applications in the given order of
installation. The first application to run will be Vessel and the last will be Stowage Assist. In order to
successfully run Stowage Assist, you need the data generated by the total of the other five
applications. This is a time-consuming task. It is advised to take your time and be meticulous when
inserting the aforementioned data.
Running the first program ‘Vessel’
Start the application by clicking the icon ‘Vessel’ in the menu Initialize. By doing so a pop up will
appear for login. See figure 7. You must have administrator rights to manipulate these fields. As user
you can read only. Ask your Head of Department for the login rights which you have.
..: /Stowage Assist /SW
/Bunkers.exe
/Carene.exe
/Combinations.exe
/Stowage Assist.exe
/Tankdata.exe
/Vessel.exe
Uninstall
Figure 6
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When you have logged in the application will run.
This will open a dialog window that contains input fields, pointing out the particulars of the ship
where the programme has been installed. Fill in the blank fields (see figure 8.)
Note
All numerical values must be inserted with a comma before the decimal!
Figure 8
When all fields are filled in with the corresponding data, save your data by pressing the ‘Save’ button.
A file with the name ‘Particularsl.rnd’ will be stored in the directory ‘..:/HRN/Stowage
Assist/Data/*/’.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
Figure 7
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Note
The program Stowage Assist will subtract values from this file. Don’t change the
extension or data in this file without use the of the program Vessel.exe.
By choosing ‘Print’, an excel sheet will be created. This can be stored in the working partition of your
Local or Network system. This sheet can also be used to provide third parties information about the
ship’s particulars. The print will have the layout as seen in figure 9.
Choose ‘Close’ to close the program, without saving the input.
Figure 9
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Running the program ‘Combinations’
Start the application by clicking the icon ‘Combinations’ in the menu Initialize. By doing so a pop up
will appear for login. See figure 10. You must have administrator rights to manipulate these fields. As
user you can read only. Ask your Head of Department for the login rights which you have.
When you have logged in the application will run.
In this dialog window, you will insert the 100% Volumes of the
Cargo Tanks of the ship on which the program was installed (see
figure 11).
Note
Use a period before the decimal. Do not use a
comma!
When all volumes of the tanks are inserted, save these numbers
by pressing the ‘Save’ button.
The next step is to generate all the possible combinations that can
be created between these CT volumes. Click the ‘Generate’ button
to start the combinations generator.
Note
This process will take a while. This depends on two things: the processor speed of
your system and the possibility that there are many combinations, sometimes even
exceeding two million.
You can track the progress via the counter in the bottom field as well as via the progress bar.
When all possible combinations have been created, the progress bar will reach 100%. This means
that the program is finished. From this point on, the program combinations will only need to be used
when the ship has modifications done to the cargo tank layout of the ship. You can close the program
without saving by pressing the ‘Close’ button.
Note
Figure 11
Figure 10
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Tip: In order to avoid changes being made to the generated combinations in the
future, remove the ‘Combinations’ icon from the desktop.
The generated tables will be stored In the database file ‘Combinations.db’, in the directory
‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
Running the program ‘Carene’
Start the application by clicking the icon ‘Carene’ in the menu Initialize. By doing so a pop up will
appear for login. See figure 12. You must have administrator rights to manipulate these fields. As
user you can read only. Ask your Head of Department for the login rights which you have.
When you have logged in the application will
run.
In this dialog window, you will insert the
values retrieved from the Stability Booklet of
the Ship on which it has been installed (see
figure 13.).
Note
Use a period before the
decimal. Do not use a
comma!
Figure 13
Figure 12
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Note
Start with the Displacement of the Ship in seawater, the first smaller than the Light
Ship conditions.
All the next rows must be written with interval steps of 10cm draft increase.
When all values of ΔSea, draft, ETM, LCB and LCF have been inserted, save these numbers by
pressing the ‘Save’ button.
The ‘Close’ button will close the program without saving.
Note
Be accurate when filling in the values. Take your time for this time-consuming task.
Tip: In order to avoid changes being made to the generated table in the future,
remove the ‘Carene’ icon from the desktop.
The generated tables will be stored in the database file ‘Carene.db’, in the directory
‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
Running the program ‘Tankdata’
Start the application by clicking the icon ‘Tankdata’ in the menu Initialize. By doing so a pop up will
appear for login. See figure 14. You must have administrator rights to manipulate these fields. As
user you can read only. Ask your Head of Department for the login rights which you have.
When you have logged in the application will run.
Figure14
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In this dialog window, you will insert the
values retrieved from the General
Arrangement of the Ship on which it has
been installed (see figure 15, 16 and 17.
Note:
Use a period before the decimal. Do
not use a comma!
Note
Start with the Cargo Tanks of the Ship. Leave the ‘Product’ column blank. After these
tanks you can insert the Ballast tanks and then follow the tanks, e.g.. spaces, as
mentioned in the General Arrangement plan.
The density of the Cargo Tanks must be 0.000.
Finish the last 2 rows, by filling out the Tankname column, with ‘Fixed Stores’ and
‘Empty Ship’.
When all values of the Tankname, Product, 100%(Volume), SG, LCG and TCG have been inserted,
save these numbers by pressing the ‘Save’ button.
Use ‘Close’, to close without saving.
Note
Be accurate when filling in the values. Take your time for this time-consuming task.
Tip: In order to avoid changes being made to the generated table in the future,
remove the ‘Tankdata’ icon from the desktop.
The generated tables will be stored in the database file ‘Tankdata.db’, in the directory
‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
Figure 15
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Running the program ‘Bunkers’
Start the application by clicking the icon ‘Bunkers’ on your desk accessories or by double-clicking
Bunkers.exe in the directory.
In this dialog window, the Engineers can fill in the volumes of liquids on board, other than Cargo and
Ballast, on a daily basis. The program Stowage Assist uses these values to calculate the actual Static
Stability (see figure 18.). NB: Use a period before the decimal. Do not use a comma!
Figure 16
Figure 17
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Note
Only fill in the last column. Start at the top and work to the bottom.
Do not leave the cell blank when a tank is empty. Use 0 or 0.0 instead!
The blue cells of ‘Date’ and ‘Time’ will be inserted after pressing ‘Save’. This saved data will be stored
in a database. After saving, each column will move one position to the left. A total of 26 days of
history can be stored in the database.
With the ‘Delete’ button, the last stored date of entry will be deleted. First, a dialog window will
open. If you wish to delete, confirm with ‘Yes’.
Pressing ‘Print’ will create an Excel sheet with the history of the bunkers on a daily basis. This Excel
can be stored on the working partition of your Local or Network system. An example of the print is
shown in figure 19.
Press ‘Close’ to close without saving.
The generated tables will be stored in the database file ‘Bunkers.db’, in the directory
‘H:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
Figure 18
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Figure 19
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Running the program ‘Stowage Assist’
Start the application by clicking the icon Stowage Assist on your desktop or by double clicking the
Stowage Assist.exe in the directory. The application will open with the following screen (see figure
20):
This dialog is the main
window of the program.
In this dialog window you will find the following widgets:
All cargo tanks inserted in the ‘Combinations’ are stated as clickable items on the
left side, carrying their Name and 100% Volume.
On the right side of the dialog window, there is a Table which will contain the
values of Ton, Volume, Available Volume and Slack Volume of the product what
will be stowed.
On the right side from the top to the Table there are fields which show the
gathered information regarding the product that is to be stowed. This
information is collected on a child window, titled Products, of this dialog window.
On the top side of the dialog window there is a menu bar. From here, all child
windows can be opened.
From here you can start to stow products.
Figure 20
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Products By clicking on the menu bar action button, a ‘Products sub menu will open as shown in figure 21.
This picture shows the sub menus. The
first to open is the ‘Product Details’
menu. This will open the Dialog Product
Details as shown in figure 22. The
submenus ‘Cargo History’ will be
explained on page 33.
On the top left side, there is a dialog window with
a list widget that will normally be empty. On the
upper right side, there are read only fields for the
physical and natural values of a product.
On the right centre there are print statements.
The tick boxes can be used to read only safety-
related data has been retrieved from the data
sheet of the corresponding product.
On the lower right side, there are a group of input
fields, titled ‘Insert Quantities and Ports here’.
This will be explained further on the next page.
Back on the lower left side, there are alphabetical
tool buttons. Use these tool buttons to search the
cargo database for products.
The first step is to see if a product exists in the database. Use the # tool button to run thorough the
complete database or use the first letter of the product name and the corresponding alphabetic tool
button. If the product does not exists inform you operations department to create this product.
Note
The Stowage Assist Office has full control of the cargoes database on board.
Figure 21
Figure 22
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Now that there is a physical copy of the ‘Product’, one can use the ‘Insert Quantities and Ports here’
to create the data known for the upcoming voyage. Insert the loaded Tons to be carried according to
the Voyage Instruction for that product, together with the Clause, Fixture Note, Load Port,
Discharging Port and Temperature.
Note
Examples for the clauses can be:
o Heating;
o N2;
o Wall wash;
o Etcetera.
For temperature, use degrees °C.
When all data has been inserted for the upcoming Voyage concerning that product, send this data to
the Main Dialog Window by choosing ‘Send to Stowage’.
Note
This must be repeated for all products to be carried for that upcoming voyage.
Note
If a product already exists in the database, simply press the alphabetical tool button
on the left, and look for the first letter of the product. The database will now be
searched for all products in the database starting with this letter. All found results
will be shown in the list widget on the upper left. By clicking the correct name, the
rest of the physical data will be shown to the right side again.
Every carried product must have their data inserted into ‘Insert Quantities and Ports
here’.
Use ‘Return to Stowage’ to leave this dialog window and to return to the Main Dialog Window as
shown in figure 20.
Using the ‘Print button’ on the right side, centre and the Print sub menu, will print all existing cargoes
in Excel or in Notepad (ASCII table), depending on whether the radio button ‘.xlsx’ or ‘.txt’ is ticked.
This Excel file can be stored on the working partition of your Local or Network system.
An Excel example is shown in figure 23.
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Figure 23
In the example, two products have been loaded into the Ship, knowing Acetic Acid and Benzene, see
figure 24.
Back at the main Dialog they will be shown as per figure 25.
When a wrong product is sent to stowage, you can remove this product by using the submenu
‘Remove Product in the ‘Products’-menu of the main window (see figure 27).
Figure 24
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Manual Stowing The first step is to give full Focus on the Table. Click on the first and second row of the Table. The
products will appear
without colour. Above the
table, the physical data and
voyage data will now also
appear. By clicking the
Name of the carried product
in the Table, you select the
product whose data will be
shown on the top right side.
The next step is to start
stowing the products. For
example, if Acetic Acid is
selected and we start
clicking on the Cargo Tanks,
on the left side. Let us assume 1P. The Table row of Acetic acid will now show the total Tons to be
carried, the Total Volume to be carried, the Available Volume (given by 1P) and the Slack Volume (if
applicable, else this will be 0). The Acetic Acid will also be assigned its own colour, to help make a
visual difference between multiple products.
Continue selecting tanks by clicking them for Acetic Acid until a slack volume is reached. Then the
Available Volume, from the grouped loaded tanks, is bigger than the Total Volume needed.
To deselect a cargo tank for that product, click on this particular cargo tank again and all values
involved in the Table will be adjusted.
Note
In the centre of this Main Dialog Window is one numerical spin box. At this moment
it is stated 98. This stands for maximum filling of the Cargo Tanks. When brought into
focus by tab order or mouse click, the filling percentage in the desired filling can be
adjusted. All stowage fillings will be calculated against this value.
As per example, the Acetic Acid has
been loaded into 1P/S and 2P/S
and the Benzene into 7P/8S, figure
26.
The Benzene can be stowed when
it is selected in the Table.
The Table has now for both
products Slack Volume so that they
fit into the selected tanks for
loading.
Figure 25
Figure 26
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Inside each selected cargo tank, the name of the carried product and the load / discharge port name
will be shown. This allows you to go
even further.
On the right side of the dialog
window, you will find a check box
called ‘Slack’. When, per example,
Acetic Acid is selected in the table,
tick this box. You can now decide
which tank for Acetic Acid will be
slack. This selected tank will have
the ‘Slack’ printed also on the
bottom of this tank and its name
will be printed into the slack line.
This is shown in figure 27.
Beneath the ‘Slack’ checkbox there is a ‘Don’t’ checkbox. When, per example, the Acetic is not
allowed to be carried in the 3P/S cargo Tanks, tick this box. You now can click on these cargo tanks
and their name will be printed in the ‘Don’t load in line’. This means when you start stowing again
and both ‘Slack’ and ‘Don’t’ checkboxes are unticked, you can click on the 3P/S, only they won’t be
selected for Acetic Acid. See figure 27.
Note
During stowing, selecting cargo tanks manual. Both ‘Slack’ and ‘Don’t’ check boxes
must be unticked
Basically, this is manual stowing with the Stowage Assist. In theory you can now stow as many
cargoes as there are in numbers of cargo tanks.
Semi-Automatic Stowing Thanks to the program ‘Combinations’, instructions can be given so that the program selects the
cargo tanks semi-automatically. On the right side there are tree buttons stating ‘OK’, ‘+’ and ‘-‘.
When a product is selected in the Table, press ‘OK’. The tree buttons will now change to a bright blue
colour and the clickable cargo tanks to the left will become disabled (see figure 28). This means that
the program is connected to the ‘Combinations’ database.
By starting with the ‘+’ search, the program will look into the database and search for the first group
or single tank, which has the minimum ‘Slack’ space possible. When this is a not desirable group or
single tank, press ‘Search’ again until a desirable selected group or single tank is found.
Use ‘–‘ to go backwards to the smallest combination or single tank. The value stated in the filling
percentage, has been calculated. The Table will also be updated after every time ‘+’ or ‘-‘ is used.
When the desired result is reached, press ‘OK’ again and the tree buttons will deselect and return to
their original colours. The cargo tanks on the left will be enabled again.
Figure 27
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When the program reaches the
end of the search possibilities ‘+’or
‘-‘, the connection will be closed,
and the tree buttons will also
deselect and the cargo tanks to
the left will be enabled again. This
will be clarified with a beep sound.
Note
Stowing in the semi-automatic mode can be done as long as there are unselected
cargo tanks and the ‘Volume Needed’ is smaller than the ‘Volume Available’.
When a wrong product is loaded into the Main Dialog Window, this can simple be overcome by the
submenu ‘Remove Product’, shown in figure 22. Select the product you wish to delete in the Table
and then press the submenu ‘Remove Product. Confirm ‘Yes’ in the pop-up window, to delete this
product from the Table. Press ‘No’ to keep the product.
All white fields on the right side of the Main Dialog Window can be changed by the user. After
pressing the ‘Save’ button, they will become implemented for that product, which has been selected
in the table. When the ‘Actual Density’ and the ‘Ton’ fields are changed, the product needs to be re-
stowed, as written above.
History If the stowage was completed and the voyage has been performed according to the stowage logs,
you can add this voyage to the ‘History’. This is also the place to retrieve the last cargoes for each
cargo tank on board.
By doing so select the menu ‘Products’ on the submenu ‘Cargo History’ (figure 21.). The following
Dialog sequence will be shown as per figure 29.
Figure 28
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This Dialog Window will
show the last cargoes
carried. There are four
push buttons with their
stated actions: ’Add Cargo’,
‘Print Cargo’, ‘Delete
Cargo’ and ‘Return to
Stowage’.
Use ‘Return to Stowage’ to
return to the Main Dialog
Window without any
further actions.
Use ‘Add Cargo’ to add the
selected voyage in the
Main Dialog Window to the
History Database. All
voyages will move one
column to the left and the
last voyage is seen in the column the furthest to the right. Confirm ‘Yes’ in the Message Window, to
run this action. Use ‘No’ to return to this Dialog Window.
Use ‘Delete Cargo’ to delete the last entry from the History database. All voyages will move one
column to the right in the table. Confirm ‘Yes’ in the Message Window, to run this action. Use ‘No’ to
return to this Dialog Window.
Use ‘Print History’ to create an Excel sheet, which shows an overview of the last voyages and last
cargoes carried as per figure 30. This Excel file can be stored on the working partition of your Local or
Network system.
Figure 30
This print can go back to 50 voyages.
Figure 29
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Trim and draft Use the menu bar action button ‘Trim’ and its submenu action button ‘Draft Calculations’ to open the
‘Dialog Trim Calculation’, as shown in figure 31.
This Dialog Window will
show the volumes, sg and
tonnage of each tank listed
on board, in the left table.
In the list widget, on the
upper right, there will be a
summary of the calculated
valuas for ‘Trim’ and ‘Draft’
of the weight at that
loading condition.
In the lower right table,
there is a summary of all
volumes and weight on
board without cargo.
There are tree buttons in
this dialog: ‘Return to
Stowage’, ‘Print’ and ‘Get
Bunkers’.
Use ‘Return to Stowage’ to go back to the Main Dialog Window without any further actions.
Use ‘Get Bunkers’ to load the last entry of the values of volumes and weights on board (besides the
ballast and the cargo tanks) from the Bunkers database. Confirm ‘Yes’ in the Message Window, to
run this action. Use ‘No’ to return to this Dialog Window.
As seen in the table, the selected cargo tanks are forwarded to this Dialog. The listed calculated
values are from the data of the Ship without ‘Bunkers’. The same goes for the values listed in the
summary table. By pressing ‘Get Bunkers’, an updated calculated draft and list will be made and the
summary table will be updated.
Furthermore, the state of the ballast
and the state of the ‘Bunkers’ can be
manipulated in the left table as
shown in figure 32. The Volumes in
the column CBM of these tanks are
enabled. All the rest are disabled.
Double-click these volumes to set
them to maximum Volume. Single-
click to empty them again.
Figure 31
Figure 32
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NB: the numerical keys can be used here. When a value has been manipulated, use arrow up (↑) or
arrow down (↓) to adjust.
Use ‘Print’ to create an Excel sheet with a summary of the Volumes, sg and Ton of all tanks on board,
(see figure 33.).
Warning:
This application cannot be
used for checking the stability
criteria. It only calculates the drafts,
trim of that loading condition. The
list is calculated against a fixed GM
of 1.0 meter.
.
Figure 33
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File New, Load, Save Use ‘Voyage’ to open another submenu. See figure 34 for the details
of this submenu.
This submenu contains ‘New Voyage’, ‘Loading Voyage’, ‘Saving
Voyage’, ‘Delete Voyage’, ‘Print Voyage’ and ‘End’.
Use ‘New Voyage’ to clear all the content on the Main Dialog
Window. From there, create new data or products.
Use ‘Load Voyage’’ to reload stored voyages into the Main Dialog
Window. The stored voyages will be stored in the directory
‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’ with extension .stw.
Use ‘Save Voyage’ to save voyages in the directory ‘..:/HRN/Stowage
Assist/Data/*/’with extension .stw.
Use ‘Delete Voyage’ to delete voyages saved in the directory ‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Data/*/’ with
the extension .stw.
* = The name of the ship where it is installed and saved. This folder is for office use.
For all the actions above: Confirm ‘Yes’ in the Message Window, to run this action. Use ‘No’ to return
to this Dialog Window.
Rotation In the menu bar, use ‘Rotation’ to open a submenu action button ‘Ports of Call’. By pressing this
button, the following dialog will show, see figure 35.
In this dialog window you can fill in the port rotation for that voyage.
Save the inserted ports by pressing ‘OK’ button. The dialog window will close.
Figure 34
Figure 35
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Stowage plan Use ‘Print Voyage’ to create a Stowage plan in Excel for the voyage that is currently shown in the
Main Dialog Window (see figure 36.). A pop-up window will inquire about the ‘Trim’ and list
‘Calculation’.
This Excel file can be stored
on the working partition of
your Local or Network
system.
Note
If a voyage is unsaved, a stowage plan without voyage number is created.
If the rotation is left blank, an empty rotation will print.
Print features Within the program Stowage Assist there are 5 print statements. These statements are the
following:
Print Voyage;
Print History;
Print Cargoes, xlsx format;
Print Cargoes, txt (ASCII) format;
Print Trim Calculations.
As a user, there is the possibility to use your company logo on the printed statement, except on the
‘Print Cargoes, .txt (ASCII) format’ statement. By using this feature the user must go to the folder
‘..:/HRN/Stowage Assist/Image/’ and insert an image file with the name ‘Logo.png’ , with a maximum
size of 72 X 72 pixels.
When a print-out is created, the logo will be added.
Figure 36
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Trouble Shooting and Maintenance Visit our website www.stowageassist.com to find FAQ. You can also use the contact link to send your
question. Personal questions will be handled privately via our FAQ.
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About the Author
H.R. Nienhuis is a master on board of chemical-, oil tankers with a License of Master all Ship’s no
limitations. His career began in the middle of 1998 as a cadet on board of his first chemical tanker,
belonging to a Dutch Shipping Company. After ending his traineeship at the end of 1999, he was
promoted to 2nd Officer. Due to his experience with trading chemicals on short sea trips, he gained
vast knowledge of chemicals. Based on his knowledge and experience, he was promoted to Chief
Officer in 2003. In this role he was able to hone his craftsmanship and for that reason he was
promoted to Master in January 2013. All the while still sailing at the same Dutch Shipping Company,
where it all began. During this position, he gained his interest for the programming language Python.
This inspired him to write his first Dialog in the language Python and Qt. Since then, he has been
developing this skill and became more fluent in the language. Eventually, he was able to write this
very group of applications, called Stowage Assist.
