Calker

/ˈkɔːkər/ noun

Definition

A person whose job is to caulk ships; a skilled worker who seals seams in wooden vessels using oakum and pitch.

Etymology

From calk (caulk) plus -er suffix (indicating a person who does something); calkers were essential, skilled tradespeople in shipyards.

Kelly Says

Calkers were so important to ship maintenance that they formed their own guilds and commanded high wages—they could literally make the difference between a ship that sank and one that survived a voyage.

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