A question on careening

[JoshuaRed]

I had always read that ships were careened by essentially running them aground in soft sandy areas, then heaving it over on it's side with rope & tackle, often via trees on the shore. Recently I read in Philip Ashton's account (the kid who was taken by Low in Newfoundland) that while in the West Indies, Low lost his flagship while attempting to careen it thus: He ordered everyone into the yards to tip the ship on it's side, but the mast/yards stuck in the bottom of the harbor, essentially pinning the ship upside down, after which it broke apart and sunk. So I'm guessing this wasn't the wisest way to go about cleaning the ship's bottom.

NOW, I'm reading Dampier's Voyage to New Holland, and twice he mentions that he needs to careen, but the first time he can't because the local merchants rent a "hulk" for such purposes, but it's too expensive. The second time Dampier says he won't careen for want of a "hulk". So what is he referring to? A type of tow-boat?

[Desert Pyrate]

Near as I can tell from the Oxford English Dictionary, a hulk used in this way was primarily for hoisting and setting of masts. It was also used to house the crew and supplies during the maintenance.

[JoshuaRed]

So, sort of a barge equipped with a crane?

[Desert Pyrate]

Yeah... that's the sense of it that I have. It's a base for the lifting tackle.

[JoshuaRed]

So then it's probably what they used when there was no soft sandy shoreline available to run aground on, for instance in deep, rock bottom harbors, or harbors set against cliffs.

[Fox]

Here is a late 18th century engraving of a ship careening using a floating pontoon. The hulk used for careening were basically ships used in the same way as this pontoon for heeling over larger vessels.

[jessie k.]

Hey, now _that's_ a cool picture! That looks awfully awkward though; how did they keep everything from tipping over?

[Duchess]

Patrick O'Brian talks about careening in dry dock, with the sheer hulk (also mentioned for installing masts) and by ballast. The last is when the shift all the ships contents to one side and send the best divers into to the water to clean her bottom.

The Duchess

[JoshuaRed]

Boy and we think changing the oil every 3,000 miles is a pain!

[Wartooth]

Boy and we think changing the oil every 3,000 miles is a pain!

Nah. Changin' the oil is easy. Its the changin' of my undies thats the problem! Can't seem to remember which leg goes where.

Wartooth