Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy

Keelhauling

A historical form of punishment meted out to sailors at sea. The sailor was tied to a line that was looped beneath the vessel. Then he was thrown overboard on one side of the ship and dragged under the ship's keel. Depending on the severity of the crime, the keelhauling could be done from either one side of the ship to the other, or the length of the ship from bow to stern. If the offender was pulled quickly, keelhauling would typically result in serious injury caused by marine growth (barnacles) on the underside of the hull. If the victim was dragged slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles, but this method would frequently result in drowning.

Added: 2014-11-01 Last modified: 2014-11-01