Which risk increases when an 18th-century wooden ship experiences prolonged exposure to saltwater?

💡 Explanation

When ships are exposed to saltwater for an extended period, marine borers like shipworms weaken the integrity of wooden structures by creating tunnels, causing rudder instability via loss mass of the rudder and structural fatigue due to reduced structural intergrity of supporting wooden timbers. Therefore rudder instability results, rather than UV sail damage, navigation error or crew illness requiring different mechanisms.

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