Editing Sailing ship (section)

==== Copper sheathing ====
{{Main|Copper sheathing}}
During the Age of Sail, ships' hulls were under frequent attack by [[shipworm]] (which affected the structural strength of timbers), and [[barnacle]]s and various marine [[weed]]s (which affected ship speed).<ref>McKee, A. in Bass (ed.) 1972, p.235</ref> Since before the common era, a variety of coatings had been applied to hulls to counter this effect, including pitch, wax, tar, oil, sulfur and arsenic.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last1=Telegdi|first1=J.|last2=Trif|first2=L.|last3=Romanski|first3=L.|title=Smart composite coatings and membranes : transport, structural, environmental and energy applications|publisher=Elsevier|year=2016|isbn=9781782422952|editor-last=Montemor|editor-first=Maria Fatima|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=130–1|oclc=928714218}}</ref> In the mid 18th century [[copper sheathing]] was developed as a defense against such bottom fouling.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fuBEAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA276|title=On copper and other sheathing|last=Hay|date=May 15, 1863|journal=The Engineer|location=London|pages=276|language=en|access-date=June 29, 2019|archive-date=October 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027232647/https://books.google.com/books?id=fuBEAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA276#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> After coping with problems of [[Galvanic corrosion|galvanic deterioration]] of metal hull fasteners, [[Galvanic anode|sacrificial anodes]] were developed, which were designed to corrode, instead of the hull fasteners.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g273FGUNIFQC|title=Ships' Fastenings: From Sewn Boat to Steamship|last=Mccarthy|first=Michael|date=2005|publisher=Texas A&M University Press|isbn=9781603446211|pages=131|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29|archive-date=2023-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027232650/https://books.google.com/books?id=g273FGUNIFQC|url-status=live}}</ref> The practice became widespread on naval vessels, starting in the late 18th century,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerknight.org/pdf/The%20Introduction%20of%20Copper%20Sheathing.pdf|title=The introduction of copper sheathing into the Royal Navy, 1779–1786|last1=Knight|first1=R. J. B.|website=rogerknight.org|access-date=28 December 2017|archive-date=8 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208172248/http://www.rogerknight.org/pdf/The%20Introduction%20of%20Copper%20Sheathing.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> and on merchant vessels, starting in the early 19th century, until the advent of iron and steel hulls.<ref name=":4" />