Careening

Careening is a method of gaining access to the hull of a sailing vessel without the use of a dry dock. It is used for cleaning or repairing the hull. Before ship's hulls were protected from marine growth by fastening copper sheets over the surface of the hull, fouling by this growth would seriously affect the sailing qualities of a ship, causing a large amount of drag.

As this growth was underwater, removing it was difficult.
Beaching the vessel at high tide allowed the lower hull to be exposed for cleaning or repairs.

Back to Marine Maintenance →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

SHIPSKIN

Marine coatings, hull protection, and the calculators behind a well-painted vessel.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every species, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.