Keel hauling was a harsher naval punishment than flogging. A sailor was tied to a rope, dropped at the bow, and dragged beneath the ship. Survival allowed a return to service, while death completed the sentence without a separate execution. The distinction between punishment and capital punishment was technical and offered little comfort.
Notable Point · 2:45:07-2:46:32
Keel hauling blurred punishment and execution
Dragging a sailor beneath the hull was formally a punishment with a chance of survival but could readily become a death sentence.