Nautical Term: Labor
Definition of Labor
A vessel is considered to be laboring when she vigorously works through the waves of a seaway. This heavy effort can manifest in various ways, such as the vessel pounding against the waves, panting as it works through the water, hogging (tilting to one side) as it rides the crest of a wave, or sagging (drooping to the other side) as it descends into the trough of a wave. Such laborious effort can be both exhausting for the vessel and potentially dangerous for those on board.
Example: The cargo ship, despite being well-equipped and manned by a seasoned crew, began to labor heavily as it ventured deeper into the stormy North Atlantic. The ship hogged on one side as it crested each wave, while sagging on the other side as it descended into the troughs. The violent oscillation and pounding against the waves, coupled with the extreme wind and rain, soon left the ship battered, bruised, and exhausted, with several large waves having crashed over the deck and into the cargo holds, flooding them and putting the valuable cargo at risk.
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