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Reference.org
Scuttling
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<p>A ship is scuttled when its crew deliberately sinks it, typically by opening holes in its hull. </p><p>Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of <a href="/facts/Self_destruct/1FEJtb51">self-destruction</a> to prevent the ship from being captured by an enemy force; as a <a href="/facts/Blockship/gSgAcHb1">blockship</a> to restrict navigation through a <a href="/facts/Channel_(geography)/zanMS2Ek">channel</a> or within a <a href="/facts/Harbor/R44M3IvB">harbor</a>; to provide an <a href="/facts/Artificial_reef/mfGpU65M">artificial reef</a> for divers and marine life; or to alter the flow of rivers. </p>