The Nautical Encyclopedia

Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia — Howard Patterson, 1891

⚓ The Superstition Locker ⚓

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Home ⚓ Letter F ⚓ Founder

Founder

Sea Terms

When a vessel fills with water and sinks she is said to founder.

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2026 Editor's Note: To founder — fill and sink — is now what businesses and plans do; the metaphor kept the sinking feeling. Marine casualty reports still use the literal term. See foundering. (Ed: BR 2026-06-26)

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The Nautical Encyclopedia (1891) is in the public domain; this digital edition © 2026 PhotoOpAI.