Oakum
a material used between the edges of plank to make the seams watertight. It is made of old hemp ropes well tarred. Picking oakum is a monotonous job in shipyards.
Volume IV · Aiton’s Encyclopedia
a material used between the edges of plank to make the seams watertight. It is made of old hemp ropes well tarred. Picking oakum is a monotonous job in shipyards.