Keelhauling: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:03, 16 September 2023

Keelhauling is a form of punishment meted out to sailors at sea. The sailor was tied to a line that looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's keel, either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern). As the hull was usually covered in barnacles and other marine growth, if the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious cuts, loss of limbs and even decapitation. If the victim was dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in his drowning.

Keelhauling was legally permitted as a punishment in the Dutch Navy. The earliest official mention of keelhauling is a Dutch ordinance of 1560, and the practice was not formally abolished until 1853. Keelhauling has become strongly associated with pirate lore.

Today, keelhauling can refer to the spinnaker sheets getting stuck under the hull after dousing the sail. This occurs especially in dinghy sailboats such as Laser 2 because nothing prevents the sheet from being pulled under the bow.

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-[[File:Keelhauling.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
+[[File:Woodcut Print of Keelhauling.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A Tudor woodcut print of keelhauling.]]
-'''Keelhauling''' is a form of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punishment punishment] meted out to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor sailors] at sea. The sailor was tied to a line that looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keel keel], either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern). As the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_%28ship%29 hull] was usually covered in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnacle barnacles] and other [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_%28ocean%29 marine] growth, if the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wound cuts], loss of limbs and even decapitation. If the victim was dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drown drowning].
+'''Keelhauling''' is a form of punishment meted out to sailors at sea. The sailor was tied to a line that looped beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, and dragged under the ship's keel, either from one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship (from bow to stern). As the hull was usually covered in barnacles and other marine growth, if the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious cuts, loss of limbs and even decapitation. If the victim was dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in his drowning.
-Keelhauling was legally permitted as a punishment in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Navy Dutch Navy]. The earliest official mention of keelhauling is a Dutch ordinance of 1560, and the practice was not formally abolished until 1853. Keelhauling has become strongly associated with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate pirate] lore.
+Keelhauling was legally permitted as a punishment in the Dutch Navy. The earliest official mention of keelhauling is a Dutch ordinance of 1560, and the practice was not formally abolished until 1853. Keelhauling has become strongly associated with pirate lore.
-Today, keelhauling can refer to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinnaker_sheet spinnaker sheets] getting stuck under the hull after dousing the sail. This occurs especially in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinghy dinghy] sailboats such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_2 Laser 2] because nothing prevents the sheet from being pulled under the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_%28ship%29 bow].
+Today, keelhauling can refer to the spinnaker sheets getting stuck under the hull after dousing the sail. This occurs especially in dinghy sailboats such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_2 Laser 2] because nothing prevents the sheet from being pulled under the bow.
 [[Category:Torturer]]
 [[Category:Murderer]]