[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":107},["ShallowReactive",2],{"copy:\u002Fexport\u002Fseaworthy-packing":3},{"path":4,"h1":5,"metaDescription":6,"kicker":7,"lede":8,"panel":9,"spec":22,"drawing":44,"photo":45,"sections":46,"faqs":83,"related":96,"sources":103},"\u002Fexport\u002Fseaworthy-packing","Seaworthy crates for ocean freight","Seaworthy crates for container and breakbulk ocean freight: sheathing, barrier bags, VCI, desiccant, drain holes and blocking for a long wet voyage.","Ocean freight","A seaworthy crate is a sheathed wood crate wrapped around a load that has been bagged, dried and braced for a long wet voyage. We build them for container and breakbulk freight, with drain paths, barrier bags, VCI and desiccant sized to the cube of the crate.",[10,13,16,19],[11,12],"Walls","Sheathed plywood on a cleated frame",[14,15],"Inside","Barrier bag, VCI, desiccant",[17,18],"Base","Skid and runners, forklift entry",[20,21],"Lifting","Strongback for breakbulk crane lifts",{"rows":23},[24,26,29,32,35,38,41],[17,25],"Skid with runners sized to gross weight",[27,28],"Walls and lid","Plywood or OSB on lumber cleats",[30,31],"Interior wrap","Heat-sealed barrier bag around the load",[33,34],"Corrosion control","VCI film or emitter, plus desiccant",[36,37],"Blocking","Lumber blocking and bracing lag bolted to the base",[39,40],"Marks","Handling marks, consignee, port, case number",[42,43],"Ask for","Inside dimensions, gross weight, container or breakbulk","sheathed",null,[47,53,59,65,71,77],{"h2":48,"paragraphs":49},"Why ocean freight needs its own packing",[50,51,52],"A crate on a truck sees rain and road vibration. A crate on a ship sees all of that, then sits in a metal container for a long voyage while the day and night temperatures swing. Air inside warms, holds moisture, then cools, and the water collects on the coldest surface, usually the load itself. The result is rust on steel, mould on fabric and swollen boards.","Breakbulk adds more. The crate may be lifted by crane with slings, stowed on an open deck, and rained on at anchor. Salt spray gets into every seam. Seaworthy packing is the work of shutting that moisture out, letting what gets in drain away, and keeping the load from moving when the vessel does.","None of that is complicated, but it is easy to skip one step and pay for it at the other end.",{"h2":54,"paragraphs":55},"Sheathing and the crate body",[56,57,58],"The body is a lumber frame with plywood or OSB panels fixed over it. Sheathing closes the walls, so spray and dust stay out, and it gives the crate stiffness that an open slatted crate does not have. The sheathed type page shows how the cleats and panels go together.","Seams are the weak point. Where panels meet, the cleat behind them backs the joint, and on a sea lane we lay the panel edges on the cleats so rain running down the outside cannot run inside. A crate with a roof lid that overhangs the walls sheds water better than one with a flush lid.","Because the panels are plywood, they are exempt from ISPM 15. The lumber frame, skid and runners are not, and they carry the HT stamp.",{"h2":60,"paragraphs":61},"Barrier bag, VCI and desiccant",[62,63,64],"Inside the crate, the load goes into a heat-sealed barrier bag. The bag is the moisture seal. A bag with a tear or an unsealed corner is a funnel, so we check seals before the lid goes on and ask for a clear route to inspect the bag if the load is large.","VCI, volatile corrosion inhibitor, is a film or emitter that coats bare steel with a thin protective layer of vapour inside the bag. It works on machined surfaces, shafts, gears and tooling. Desiccant goes in with it to take up the moisture that is trapped when the bag is sealed. Our rust prevention and desiccant sizing guides explain how much and where.","We size desiccant against the volume of the bag and the length of the voyage, not against the crate. A rough rule of thumb is not good enough for a three-week transit.",{"h2":66,"paragraphs":67},"Drain holes, ventilation and the lid",[68,69,70],"A crate that traps water is worse than one that leaks. Condensation will form on the underside of the lid in any lane, so the interior needs somewhere to send it. We cut drain holes at the low points of the base and keep them clear of the load, and fit a baffle on any vent so rain cannot be driven in.","Where a load sits on feet or a base plate, we make sure the bag lies over it without pooling water. The bag goes over the load before the load goes onto its skid, so the underside is wrapped, too.","The lid is last. We close it only when the interior is dry and the desiccant is in place, so no extra moisture is sealed in.",{"h2":72,"paragraphs":73},"Blocking, bracing and lifting",[74,75,76],"A vessel rolls and pitches. A heavy load that is free to move inside its crate will punch through a wall. Blocking and bracing, cut from lumber and lag bolted to the base, pin the load at its base plate and stop it sliding or tipping. We keep the centre of gravity low and mark it on the outside.","For breakbulk freight, add a strongback: a heavy lumber member along the base or lid that carries the lift. Crane slings go to defined lift points on the skid or runners, not to the walls. If you will use a spreader bar, say so when you quote.","Tip indicators and shock indicators are optional. They tell the consignee if the crate was dropped or rolled, which helps when a claim is made.",{"h2":78,"paragraphs":79},"Container loading and what to tell your forwarder",[80,81,82],"Inside a twenty-foot or forty-foot container, a crate must sit on its skid with room for lashing, and the doors must still close. Give the forwarder the outside dimensions and gross weight of the finished crate, not of the machine. We supply both on the spec.","Heavy crates are usually lashed with straps or chain to the container's tie-down rings, with dunnage packed into gaps so they do not shift. If a crate is taller than the door opening allows, or needs a flat-rack or open-top container, say so at the quote stage so the base is built for it.","Ask also for the stuffing plan if more than one crate shares a container. Order of loading decides which crate gets unloaded first.",[84,87,90,93],{"q":85,"a":86},"What is the difference between a seaworthy crate and a regular export crate?","A seaworthy crate adds a sheathed body, a sealed barrier bag, VCI and desiccant, drain paths and lifting points so the load survives condensation and crane handling on a long voyage.",{"q":88,"a":89},"Do you build crates for breakbulk as well as containers?","Yes. Breakbulk crates get a strongback and defined lift points because they may be hoisted by crane and stowed on an open deck.",{"q":91,"a":92},"How much desiccant does my crate need?","It depends on the volume of the barrier bag and the voyage length. Our desiccant sizing guide gives the method, and we confirm the amount when we write the spec.",{"q":94,"a":95},"Does a sheathed crate still need ISPM 15 lumber?","The plywood sheathing is exempt, but the lumber skid, runners and cleats are not. Confirm the destination rule with APHIS and the receiving country.",[97,98,99,100,101,102],"\u002Fexport","\u002Fcrates\u002Ftypes\u002Fsheathed","\u002Fguides\u002Frust-prevention-vci","\u002Fguides\u002Fdesiccant-sizing","\u002Fexport\u002Fispm-15-crates","\u002Fcrates\u002Fheavy-duty",[104],{"label":105,"url":106},"NELMA: wood packaging inspection program","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nelma.org\u002Finspection-programs\u002Fwood-packaging\u002F",1794178336799]