Sentence:  …for the jagged butt of the fallen mast was dashing against the ship's side with such vicious blows that it seemed but a matter of seconds ere it would <WSD>stave</WSD> a hole in her. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To break in the staves of; to break a hole in; to burst. Often with "in". (from 1590s)