From ships in ordinary to guard ships ready within hours

Ships in ordinary had no stores or crew and were often laid up in fresh water, which better preserved their hulls. The creek outside Chatham is given as one British example. When a ship returned to service, dockyard workers first inspected the hull and repaired the effects of a long voyage, a commission, or the time spent in ordinary. The vessel then required stores, recruitment, and a period of work-up, making readiness a matter of weeks or months. Guard ships occupied the immediately available tier: fully stored, minimally crewed, and carrying key officers and craftsmen. If enough sailors could be found locally, that nucleus could bring the ship toward sea readiness in hours rather than months.