Page 116 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Two
58. Finish It All Around, to Prepare It for Launching, and, When Ready, Launch It
Witsen was not very generous in pr oviding information on launching techniques, but they did not likely differ too much from the method described b y Van Yk. First the ship was shored up with poles underneath the wales. The ship was held ba ck with bolts, c heek knees, and a large tackle to the lower gudg eon to prevent a premature launch. The last shores, on whic h the ship’s bottom and bilge still rested, were r emoved at this point. Then slid- ing planks were laid underneath both sides of the bilge, parallel to the k eel, and sme ared with soap or soot (not visible on Witsen’s engraving). These bilge ways k ept the ship from falling on its side while slipping into the w ater. The vessel was lifted somewhat with wedges rammed un- derneath the keel (nos. 25 and 26 in fi g. 1.21), and then the open spaces between the keel blocks were filled with other blocks, ground ways, making a flat track toward the water. Heavy chocks alongside the keel kept the ship from deviating from the tr ack. When the shores were fi nally removed, the tackle was cut and the ship us ually glided off the stocks. It if did not, then the rope att ached to the
Figure 2.111. Plate LVII (drawing II)
sternpost was pulled with great might while the ship was rocked with the aid of poles.
Thus the ship, planked only up to its second wale and not having even one closed deck, was launched, bow first. This early launc hing had thr ee advantages: sagging was prevented, as the ship was supported best in the water , which gave prolonged su pport to the keel; the ship was still comparatively light, f acilitating the l aunching; and the yard was now free, so c onstruction of another ship could begin.
When the l aunching had been suc cessfully achieved, the workers drank beer: the more expensive the ship, the more beer.
At this point, let us examine the interior of the ship.
In figure 2.114 deck beams of the forecastle are not yet planked, with the waterways to each side and the binding strakes in the middle. F orward, where the c able tier w ill be, we see the upper deck coming down to allow for more room in the forecastle.
In figure 2.115 we see the k eel with the frame and the ceiling, on which the hanging knees of the main deck lock around the deck clamp, with their upper end next to the deck beam. F and g are riders; the c ombination of floor
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