What was the punishment keel hauling?

Keelhauling was a brutal punishment in which a sailor was dragged face-down along the underside of a ship, from one side to the other, usually using a rope tied around their waist and ankles. The ship's barnacles and sharp objects along the hull would often cause severe lacerations and injuries to the sailor's body, and the victim could also drown if they ingested too much water.

The sailor's body would be lacerated and often crushed, and they would often drown in the process. Keelhauling was considered to be a particularly severe form of punishment and was typically used for serious offences such as desertion, mutiny or theft.