Captain's Defense: No Ventilation Instructions Received, Fuel Tank Temperatures Within Range

The captain acknowledges that no specific instructions regarding the storage of the cargo were received from the charterer or shipper for this voyage. Relying solely on experience, the captain believed that ventilation was unnecessary when transporting goods from a low-temperature area to a high-temperature area. However, the temperature records indicate that the external temperature initially decreased and then increased, which could potentially be criticized by the cargo interests.

Another common complaint from cargo interests is the presence of fuel tanks, as they tend to have higher temperatures than the surrounding environment, creating a more favorable environment for mold growth. However, in this particular case, only two wing tanks in hold 5 are designated as fuel tanks, and there are no fuel tanks in the vicinity of hold 2. Additionally, the temperature records of the fuel tanks near hold 5 indicate that they were not heated and maintained a temperature range of 17-29 degrees Celsius throughout the entire voyage.