Dracula realized with drawing horror that he could no longer enter the hold. Rage swept through him, and he lashed out, kicking a door so hard it came off its hinges.
He had other boxes on other ships, but getting to them (and coming back) would weaken him even more.
He needed someone to do his bidding for him. An emissary. He closed his eyes and sent his mind wandering the deck. He found a suitable man on deck: He ordered him to come, and they talked long into the night.
Later, as he slept, he dreamed of something in the darkness, something massive and white. When he saw what it was, he was delighted. In his sleep, he called it forth, and it came.