VI. Maintenance
While major repairs will be accomplished pier-side at a shipyard or dry-dock facility, preventive maintenance and damage control procedures are necessary while underway. The damage control procedures that most Marines must master have to do with de-watering, plugging ruptures and the repair of rigging lines.
De-watering means just one thing - grab a bucket and get that water out of the boat before the boat goes down. Simple as that.
Plugging ruptures is a little more tricky. Get yourself some pre-made dowels and tapered pins and shove them into the hole like it’s a Night Elf “entertainer” in Booty Bay. Get yourself a mallet and really get them in there until the gush of water slows to a trickle, then paste it up with some sealant.
Repairing rigging lines is alot more simple, so long as you know the ship well enough to know which lines run where. If you aren’t sure - ASK! Knots and some glue will get you out of a pinch until we get the ship back to dock for repairs.
Finally, every Marine should always be on the look-out for wet spots on the planks and bulkheads whenever you’re below-deck. Small leaks can quickly grow into a big problem - let the Engineering Officer know right away so they can seal up any small leaks!