An assembly for storing and transporting compressed fluid, such as compressed natural gas, that includes a plurality of hexagonally stacked pipe stored in a cargo hold in or on a vessel, that includes a lower support, side supports and a forcing mechanism that presses strongly down on the pipes so that they cannot move relative to themselves or the vessel on which they are placed. The friction between the pipes causes the plurality of pipes to act as part of the vessel in terms of its structure. The stacked pipe is supported by a plurality of spacers, such as convex side up pipe segments for maintaining a gap between adjacent ones of said plurality of pipes in a same row in said stacked pipe. A load equalizer may be located above the plurality of pipes for distributing the compressive force from the forcing mechanism.