Keel Hauling

[model 10]

I think this might be relevent to both Pirates and bottom paint.
Someone mentioned using chain and an anchor for keel hauling in the Pirate thread. I don't believe that is true. To properly keel haul someone you drag them from stem to stern along the keel with a line both port and starboard to keep them in the middle along the keel, letting the boat speed move them along. Longer the boat the better, I guess. From what I read they rarely lasted just one pass so not a lot of bottom cleaning was accomplished.

[ryon]

Personally, I prefer to nail their intestines to the mainmast and chase them around the deck with my cutlass. Much more merrymaking and fun!

Keel hauling is too much like ordinary work.

[sabray]

Keel hauling was dished out by discretion of dictator.. It was a brutal practice. Like stoning, water boarding etc the practice is beyond our evolved ways. Practicing or joking about this escapes my twisted humor. What pleasure?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by sabray

Keel hauling was dished out by discretion of dictator.. It was a brutal practice. Like stoning, water boarding etc the practice is beyond our evolved ways. Practicing or joking about this escapes my twisted humor. What pleasure?

"Our evolved ways"? We still water board people. You think all that is bad? they would put some gay guy in a wood cask and nail the lid shut and toss them ovbd.
As to keel hauling. it's a pretty good way to clean the bottom of your boat if you have a helper or 2. Plus I was only trying to correct an inaccuracy in an post.

[sabray]

Okay. Oops I forgot were still living with aged ideas of punishment. . Stoning being one of them. In context keel hauling for the reasons keel hauling was done and the way it was dished out was about as funny as what happens to women in Iran. It's just not fun. Unless causing unbearable pain and being a monster that can't manage without such barbaric means tickles your funny bone.
Back to the prior discussion of dragging people over barnacled bottoms. Best to you

[tropicalescape]

Is there more than one recorded case of someone being keel hauled or having being forced to walk the plank? I thought that it was Hollywood stuff!...

[Ol Dave]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

Is there more than one recorded case of someone being keel hauled or having being forced to walk the plank? I thought that it was Hollywood stuff!...

To the best of my knowledge , the first official instance of keel hauling was on a Dutch ship in 1560 and it later became common in Tudor England. At the captains discretion it was also accomplished from side to side, where it was not always fatal.

The only case of someone convicted in an English court of making a prisoner walk the plank was the trial of Stede Bonnet in 1718.

[model 10]

One should not take Patrick O'Brian's novels too seriously? He after all did not know one end of a yacht from another (true story.)

[roverhi]

Keel hauling was reserved for the most egregious offenses. Something not done for minor infractions for which the offender was usually flogged. The mechanics were a line was passed under the ship and tied to either victims arms or legs. Another line was tied to the offenders opposite extremities. The unfortunate soul was then pulled from one side of the ship to the other. If he didn't drown in the process, would probably die later of infection from all the cuts inflicted by Barnacles and other growth on the bottom. It was not a common capital punishment as hanging from a yard arm usually was the consequence.

Water boarding is highly over rated as a torture, btw. Every pilot who went to Viet Nam in the Navy was water boarded as part of the SEAR training. It's not fun but not that big a thing. Gets all the girly men's knickers in a knot but way better than a suicide bomb.

As far as Patrick O'Brian's sailing experience, here is an interesting article from someone who took him sailing. https://www.latitude38.com/features/O'Brian.htm

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Keel hauling was reserved for the most egregious offenses. Something not done for minor infractions for which the offender was usually flogged. The mechanics were a line was passed under the ship and tied to either victims arms or legs. Another line was tied to the offenders opposite extremities. The unfortunate soul was then pulled from one side of the ship to the other. If he didn't drown in the process, would probably die later of infection from all the cuts inflicted by Barnacles and other growth on the bottom. It was not a common capital punishment as hanging from a yard arm usually was the consequence.

Water boarding is highly over rated as a torture, btw. Every pilot who went to Viet Nam in the Navy was water boarded as part of the SEAR training. It's not fun but not that big a thing. Gets all the girly men's knickers in a knot but way better than a suicide bomb.

As far as Patrick O'Brian's sailing experience, here is an interesting article from someone who took him sailing. https://www.latitude38.com/features/O'Brian.htm

I have been water boarded before and the only time it was uncomfortable was when they figured out I could hold my breath and then blow out my nose when the water stopped coming..They then pushed on my stomach and then poured the water,thats when the "torture" started...What is worse is when you get exposed to gas and you have to stand at attention without any aid ,water or even the use of your hands..I know of a fellow that had one of his fellow soliders chop him in the knee with a hatchet when on manuvers in Korea, as he knew we had to go thru the chemical exposure then administer fake atripen,He couldnt take the needle(so chop my knee cap w/a hatchet)!!