Gun carriages could create one of the carpenter's heaviest workloads after an action. Enemy shot, a ship's own recoil, or poor maintenance could splinter them. One contemporary report said roughly a third of a fleet's carriages required replacement. Later designs used more iron and deliberate overengineering to reduce that vulnerability. Shaping replacement wood could require a second controlled fire aboard a wooden warship, adding a safety problem to an already urgent repair task.
Notable Point · 32:05-34:06
Why gun carriages dominated post-battle repair work
Damaged gun carriages could consume more carpenter effort than hull repairs, forcing ships to carry timber and sometimes heat wood aboard.