hulk

hulk

A ship that has been gutted, but remains afloat. Vessels were often "hulked" to turn them into a hulk so they may be repurposed from their original employ. Hulks were too old for battle so the British Royal Navy made it common practice to turn hulks into floating prisons, known as prison hulks, which they used to capture and hold pirates and privateers.

See also: pirate, privateer