An Old Whaler Hove Down For Repairs, Near New Bedford, a wood engraving drawn by F. S. Cozzens and published in Harper's Weekly, December 1882. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careening#/media/File:An_Old_Whaler_Hove_Down_For_Repairs,_Near_New_Bedford.jpg
Happy New Year, Fellow Adventurers! Welcome aboard as we begin careening for 2021.
Careening was a method of cleaning the hull of a ship. As ships sail the oceans, sea life attaches itself to the hull, causing drag on the vessel as it moves through the water. For the older, wooden-hulled ships, there was the added problem of teredo worms or shipworms, which would eat their way into the wood itself, eventually destroying the hull.
Careening happened in a port, if possible, but for some ships, such as pirate vessels, careening in a port wasn’t an option. Instead, the captains of these ships would look for a quiet, sheltered sandy beach, and run their ship ashore at high tide. Once the tide went out, the ship would be left high, dry, and heeled over on one side. Then the crew would get to work scraping off the barnacles and sea growth. Once the hull was clean, repairs were made, and tar was applied, then the ship was re-floated and ready to sail again.
Similar to the old wooden vessels of another time, T Spec Fiction is currently undergoing a process of careening. We’re getting our upcoming projects put in order and our website ready for the new year. We have several releases coming up in the future, including the next issue of our e-zine. We appreciate your patience with us as we scrape, repair, and tar, and we promise further adventures once we're sailing again.
Until then, keep the spirit of adventure alive.