What is Smelling the ground?

Smelling the ground means :-

• This occurs when a ship is nearing an extremely shallow depth of water, such as a shoal.

• The ship is likely to take a sudden sheer.

• The sheer is first towards the shallow, then violently away from it.

• The movements of a sluggish ship may suddenly become astonishingly lively.

• These effects are called smelling the ground.