Page 110 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Two
Figure 2.101.
Plate XXV. Wale.
When a ship is 170 or 180 feet long, the wales are made 2 inches thinner , than half the stem. The number of wales is according to the size of the ships. Aft the wales are often placed l ower, for the sak e of the gunports.
(153I11) Thenthefuttocksandtoptimbersarefaired, at the height where the rst Wale is supposed to come, for this are used levers, ropes, and wedges, to wedge behind the levers, and sa ve the wale from break- ing. Between the futtocks holes for the ringbolts are drilled, to enter the levers, the ringbolts are secured
with wedges, rings and ds, but the wale is fastened to the stem with nails. When it has been placed, it is rst left to cool and harden, th en the wood is removed , and half the levers are left in place, to make sure it has joined well, and if so, then continue fastening it.
50. Go Outside and Make the Wales under the Gunports
Wales (barghouten, berghouten, berkhouten, barkhouten, barrighouten, or barckhouten) are the thic k strakes that emphasize the ri se of the sheer to the bow and stern. Usually there were two below the gu nports of the lower, main deck and two abo ve. They were alw ays paired, and the space in between was usually little more than the breadth of the wa les themselves. The breadth was equal to the stem, the thickness half of it.
Between the lower w ales are the scuppers, through which the ship di scharges water from the m ain deck. On
(77 II 8)
Figure 2.102. Data for the rising of the wales (p. 69). Witsen’s original table has been digitally altered to show the Dutch text in English. Scanned image modified by Emiel Hoving.
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3. The planking at the gunpo rts, broad 3 feet 1 inch, forward against the stem 2 feet 9 inches.
4.TheWaleabovethis,broad91⁄2 inches,andthick 41⁄2 inches,atthestembroad 9inches,andatthemain frame 10 inches, aft 1 inch.