Final answer:
In "The Wreck of Hesperus," the skipper bound his daughter to the ship's mast to keep her safe during a fierce storm, believing it was the strongest part of the ship.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the poem "The Wreck of Hesperus" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the skipper bound his daughter to the mast because he believed it would be the safest place on the ship during the storm.
The concept behind this action was that the mast, being the strongest part of the ship, would survive the storm even if the rest of the ship was destroyed. Unfortunately, this act of supposed safety proves tragic, as the daughter does not survive the storm.