Table of Contents
Why did they scrub the decks?
Sailors swabbed the deck — and not just to keep it clean. The saltwater helped keep down mildew on the wooden boards and kept them swollen to reduce leaks. To clean the exterior, the crew would rest the ship on a sandbar, tie a rope to the mast and another ship would pull it over on its side.
Wood is used in ship decking, even warship decking, because it is light and flexible, strong, easy to maintain and offers enough grip to not be a slip hazard. It’s easy to replace and make water tight.
It is a tradition from olden days. It is called dressing the ship. Prior to coming into port they would stand on deck and render honors to other ships passing by. Then they had cannons they would fire them off before coming into port to show that they were friendly.
Why do ship decks need to be scrubbed?
“Swabbing” or washing the deck is very important on a wooden planked deck. The frequent scrubbing with salt water preserves the wood, keeps moss or mold from growing, and keeps the planks swelled so the deck does not leak (much..).
Why did pirate swab the deck?
The main deck was wooden and therefore subject to rot, so it was swabbed daily to clear anything off it that could damage it, and was “holystoned” to make it look nice, but also to sand out any splinters that could injure the barefooted seamen.
Holystoning was a routine activity on Royal Navy vessels until the early 1800s. The practice reached its height in 1796 when Admiral St Vincent recommended to his captains that the decks of all ships in the fleet be holystoned “every evening as well as morning during the summer months.”
When was the first time a ship was holystoned?
The practice reached its height in 1796 when Admiral St Vincent recommended to his captains that the decks of all ships in the fleet be holystoned “every evening as well as morning during the summer months.” For a ship of the line, the practice could take up to four hours.
What is the function of the primary deck on a boat?
On a boat or ship, the primary or upper deck is the horizontal structure that forms the “roof” of the hull, strengthening it and serving as the primary working surface. Vessels often have more than one level both within the hull and in the superstructure above the primary deck, similar to the floors of a multi-storey building,…
What is Holystoning and where is it from?
Holystoning is referenced in Richard Henry Dana, Jr. ‘s diary, the 1840 classic Two Years Before the Mast, in what he calls the “Philadelphia Catechism”: And on the seventh—holystone the decks and scrape the cable.