Why duct tape remains a naval repair staple

How often is duct tape used in navies?

Very often; the panel treats it as a routine stopgap for securing things that should not move.

Asked how often navies use duct tape, the panel answers with an emphatic 'yes': it is routine enough to be a standing engineering joke. The familiar board says to use WD-40 when something should move but does not, and duct tape when something moves but should not. The saying is humorous rather than a literal maintenance manual. It nevertheless captures why simple, adaptable materials remain useful for immediate shipboard repairs.