Ship grounding is the impact of a ship on seabed or waterway side. It may be intentional, as in beaching to land crew or cargo, and careening, for maintenance or repair, or unintentional, as in a marine accident. When unintentional, grounding may result simply in stranding, with or without damage to the submerged part of the ship’s hull. Breach of the hull may lead to significant flooding, which in the absence of containment in watertight bulkheads may substantially compromise the ship’s structural integrity, stability, and safety.
