Coaling (ships)

Coaling a warship was a much hated, dirty, and unavoidable task normally carried out in port with a collier alongside, during which time the ship was unable to fight and vulnerable to attack.

[4] His ship, the Borodino-class battleship Knyaz Suvorov, found all neutral ports closed, leaving it the choice of either coaling at anchor three miles off the coast—regarded as very risky or even impossible even in good weather—or carrying additional fuel.

The following day was spent cleaning the warship of the black coal dust which had penetrated every crevice and corner of the ship including its living quarters and food supplies.

[7] In 1908, Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock declared that expeditious coaling was essential for the efficiency of the navy and lamented the fact that dockyards still hadn't changed ship design specifically to facilitate it.

In Britain, the Severn Tunnel (completed 1886) was constructed primarily to speed the transport of high quality steam coal from the South Wales coalfield to the Royal Navy dockyards around Portsmouth.