Cultural Artefact
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South Seas Companion
Cultural Artefact
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Caulking |
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| Caulking was an age-old process for ensuring water did not penetrate the hull of a ship. |
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Caulking involves stuffing oakum (untwisted and shredded strands of old rope) into the seams between a ship's planks, or elsewhere in the joinery of a ship's decks or sides where it was necessary to prevent water entering. After being rammed tightly into the seams, the oakum was covered with melted pitch or resin to prevent it from becoming waterlogged and rotting. Caulking was obviously important task, and one that actually required a good deal of skill. Seamen who knew how to do it well were often specially assigned to do it. | |
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Published by South Seas, 1 February 2004 Comments, questions, corrections and additions: Paul.Turnbull@jcu.edu.au Prepared by: Paul Turnbull Updated: 28 June 2004 To cite this page use: http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-ss-biogs-P000090 |