08/06/2026
Some War history on hull maintenance!
In the late 18th century, the British Royal Navy revolutionized maritime warfare and ship maintenance by wrapping the underwater portion of wooden hulls in thin sheets of copper. This expensive process, known as copper sheathing, completely blocked the destructive Teredo wood-boring worms from destroying the hull and prevented barnacles and weeds from clinging to the timber. By keeping the hull smooth and clean, copper-sheathed ships sailed significantly faster and could stay at sea for years without needing to be careened, giving them a massive tactical advantage over pirates and foreign navies.
