To cast away a ship is to do such an act upon or in regard to it as causes it to perish or be lost, so as to be irrecoverable by ordinary means. The term is synonymous with “destroy,” which means to unfit a vessel for service beyond the hope of recovery by ordinary means. U. S. v. Johns, 20 Fed. Cas. 616; U. S. v. Vanranst, 28 Fed. Cas. 300.