Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T16:36:18.192Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
This chapter is part of a book that is no longer available to purchase from Cambridge Core

CHAPTER 5 - The Dockyards

Get access

Summary

Manning the ships, and keeping the crews adequately fed and healthy, was only part of the task of the administration in the Caribbean. Equally important was the need to keep the ships seaworthy. Facilities had to be provided for replacing expendable stores, for repairing the damage that arose during the normal course of service, and, exceptionally, for carrying out large scale repairs on ships damaged during battle or severe weather. Ships serving in the Caribbean also had to be cleaned periodically to prevent them being wrecked by the teredo navalis, a worm that thrived in tropical waters, and which ate its way through the hulls of wooden ships. Consequently yard facilities had to be provided, together with a supply of the necessary stores and sufficient skilled labour to do the work. Strictly speaking, the facilities in the West Indies at this time were careening yards, as no dry docks had been built. Contemporary usage was, however, loose enough to refer to them as dockyards and a similar liberty has been taken here.

Ship requirements

Before looking at the facilities that were eventually provided, it is useful to consider the damage that occurred to ships in the Caribbean. First and foremost was that caused by teredo navalis. Until copper sheathing was introduced, there was little protection against it. Some attempt was made by coating the outside of the hull with hair and tar and then laying on another layer of wood, usually deal or fir. In effect, this worked by giving the worms more to eat, and thus postponing the time when their depredations would become critical.

Type
Chapter
Information
Yellow Jack and the Worm
British Naval Administration in the West Indies, 1739-1748
, pp. 213 - 240
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Print publication year: 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • The Dockyards
  • Duncan Crewe
  • Book: Yellow Jack and the Worm
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.5949/UPO9781846317361.008
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • The Dockyards
  • Duncan Crewe
  • Book: Yellow Jack and the Worm
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.5949/UPO9781846317361.008
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Dockyards
  • Duncan Crewe
  • Book: Yellow Jack and the Worm
  • Online publication: 05 January 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.5949/UPO9781846317361.008
Available formats
×