Shipwrecking

Factors for the loss of a ship may include: The hallmark of a shipwreck due to poor design is the capsize of Swedish warship Wasa in Stockholm harbour 1628.

Poor design allowed the ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise to put to sea with open roll-on/roll-off bow doors, with tragic consequences.

Failure or leaking of the hull is a serious problem that can lead to the loss of buoyancy or the free surface effect and the subsequent sinking of the vessel.

[1] Failure of pumps can lead to the loss of a potentially salvageable ship with only a minor leak or fire.

[citation needed] Failure of the means of propulsion, such as engines, sails or rigging, can lead to the loss of a ship.

Loss of propulsion or steering can inhibit a ship's ability to safely position itself in a storm, even far from land.

The vessel left New London, Connecticut, heading for St. Petersburg, Florida, initially going on an easterly course to avoid Hurricane Sandy.

He reported she was taking on water off the coast of North Carolina, about 160 miles (260 km) from the storm, and the crew were preparing to abandon ship.

During that event, minor damage was also inflicted on the platform, far above sea level, confirming that the reading was valid.

An extreme temperature may compromise the durability properties of steel, causing the hull to break on its own weight.

Often a large fire causes a ship to be abandoned and left to drift (e.g. MS Achille Lauro).

Until the 20th century, the most sophisticated navigational tools and techniques available - dead reckoning using the magnetic compass, marine chronometer (to calculate longitude) and ships logbook (which recorded the vessel's heading and the speed measured by log) or celestial navigation using marine chronometer and sextant - were sufficiently accurate for journeys across oceans, but these techniques (and in many cases also the charts) lacked the precision to avoid reefs close to shore.

However the cost of these instruments could be prohibitive, sometimes resulting in tragic consequences for ships that were still unable to determine their longitude, as in the case of the Arniston.