Cellular container ship

A cellular container ship is a purpose-built box carrier whose holds are divided into vertical cell guides, fixed steel angle rails that locate each container corner casting and stack boxes without lashing inside the hold. The design dates to the late 1960s and is now the standard architecture for nearly all dedicated container tonnage, from sub-1,000 TEU feeders to 24,000 TEU ULCVs. Cell guides cut stowage time, raise stacking height, and transfer rack loads into the hull structure. Below deck the guides hold the stack; on deck boxes are secured by lashing rods, twistlocks, and bridge fittings. The cellular layout is what separates a true container ship from a converted general-cargo vessel.