What is Shipwrecking?
{{More sources|date = August 2017}} {{About|the event resulting in a ship being wrecked|the physical remains of a wrecked ship|Shipwreck}} [[File:Stöwer Titanic.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The sinking of the ''[[RMS Titanic|Titanic]]'', illustrated by [[Willy Stöwer]] in 1912.]] '''Shipwrecking''' is an event that causes a [[shipwreck]], such as a [[Ship collision|ship striking something]] that causes the [[ship]] to sink; the stranding of a ship on rocks, land or shoal; poor maintenance; or the destruction of a ship either intentionally or by violent weather. == Causes == [[File:Estonia ferry2.jpg|thumb|Life raft from [[MS Estonia|MS ''Estonia'']], which sank in the [[Baltic Sea]] in 1994.]] Factors for the loss of a ship may include: * poor [[naval architecture|design]] or failure of the ship's equipment or [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] - [[submarine hull|pressure hull]] * instability, due to poor design, improperly stowed [[cargo]], cargo that shifts its position or the [[free surface effect]] * [[navigation]] errors and other human errors, leading to [[collision]]s (with another ship, rocks, an [[iceberg]] ({{RMS|Titanic}}), etc.) or [[Ship grounding|running aground]] (''[[Costa Concordia]]'') * bad weather and powerful or large waves or [[gale]] winds: This often leads to capsizing, also referred to as ''foundering'' * warfare, [[piracy]], [[mutiny]], or [[sabotage]] including: [[gun]]s, [[torpedo]]es, [[depth charge]]s, [[naval mine|mine]]s, [[bomb]]s and [[missile]]s * fire * [[biofouling]], such as accumulation of [[polychaete]] and other [[Tube worm (body plan)|tube worms]] on wood hulls * overloading - either cargo or icing, and displacement exceeding the [[Waterline|plimsoll line]] * intentional sinking ([[scuttling]]) ** to form an [[artificial reef]] ** for [[wreck diving]] ** use as a [[target ship]] for training or testing weapons ** as a [[blockship]] to create an obstacle to close a harbour, river, etc. against enemy ships ** to prevent a ship from falling into an enemy's hands (e.g. [[German cruiser Adm