Ship Bottom corrosion has harassed the marine industry ever since the introduction of iron and steel ships. Wooden ships sheathed with copper could be kept at sea for several years, but with the transition from wood to iron or steel frequent hogging was necessary to keep the bottom clean, and a planned schedule of docking and painting was required if corrosion was to be kept in check.1
Owners have learned to appreciate the need for continual vigilance in the proper maintenance of the bottom composition and, generally, corrosion of the underwater body is not a serious problem. The bottom composition and the schedule of docking are selected usually by experience, the owner following a combination best suited to his needs. The routine maintenance is intended to provide complete and continual protection but occasionally, due to some unforeseen circumstance, things may get out of hand and serious bottom corrosion may...
