General cargo ship (Tweendecker)

A general cargo ship of the tweendecker type carries mixed packaged cargo (bags, bales, drums, crates, palletized goods, and project pieces) in holds split horizontally by one or more intermediate decks. The tweendeck sits below the weather deck and divides the hold so lighter or fragile cargo rides above heavier goods, which limits crushing and eases segregation. Most are geared with their own cranes or derricks of 25 to 60 tons, so they work ports without shore equipment. Sizes run from coasters of a few thousand dwt up to about 30,000 dwt. Container ships displaced the type on liner routes, but tweendeckers and their multipurpose successors still serve breakbulk and project trades that boxes cannot.