Page 113 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
Figure 2.106. Plate LV (drawing GG)
53. Finish it further.
53. Finish It Further
Here Witsen must mean graving the c aulked part (burn- ing away oakum still sticking out), which could be a risky operation.
54. Let the Ship fall on its side.
a, and the Yoke rests on the heads of the jacks, lik e b as shown in SS [fig. 2.107]. b [in fig. 2.108] Is the head of the Jack, and c the yoke, d the shore. A Chock is placed on top of the jacks in the stern because they are too short there to reach the wales and it is fastened to the jack on the other side to preven t it from slip- ping away during turning. The winding is rst done with two Handspik es. When the Ship is raised , the Pans in which the Jackscrew stands must be brough t somewhat nearer, or they might cause embarrassment. Many think that, turning Ships on their sides on land, hurts them, which is why they do not do it, and onl y do the same when the Ship lies in the water , when all parts can rest on the water. When the Jackscrews wind the ship from one side to the other , it must be heeded thattheShipbewellsupportedonthesidetow hich she is turning: But everything can be done without this turning over.
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(155 II 30) The plate RR [fig. 2.109] shows how Ships are turned on their side. a Is the Jackscrew, b the head of the Jackscrew, c a Handspike, d the Pan in w hich the Jackscrew stands; this Pan and the J ackscrew should be well greased with soap.
And then the Ship is made to fall on its side, to nail beneath the bilge, to fair and caulk, and the bottom is divided in as man y parts as there are men working, or give each his share according to his strength, so that it will be done equall y all together, and the Ship be h urt as littl e as possible: w hen it is done, the ship is raised , immediately, and then made to fall on its other side, and beneath the bilge is done as before.
(153 II 12)
(155 I 37)
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When the Ship thus lies on its side, to raise it again,
Then four or ve Jackscrews are taken, and their lower end put on a plate, in w hich a hollow is made, in which the Jackscrew stands with its lower end, as in
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