Page 131 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
other access descending to the main deck. Abaft the miz- zen was the aperture for the whip staff to the tiller under the upper deck beams (see section 110, The Rudder).
Witsen offers a description for the pl an of the forecas- tle in fi gure 2.143. On the forec astle a larg e grating was made, just like on the upper dec k, allowing light into the crew accommodations in the forec astle. There were also two small hatches above the bitt standards for better handling the anc hor cables when they were bel ayed on the bitts.
Figure 2.144 shows a plan of the deck above the steer- ing stand. In front of the mast we see a knight, and abaft it the aperture for the whipstaff ( ff ). The cabin, as can be observed, was divided into two separate rooms.
70. The Partner of the Mizzenmast and of the Capstan.
On plate No. 1 [figs. 2.147 and 2.148] , part- ners are shown, which are heavy plank-balks: lying in the upper deck, w here the mast goes through, w hich hole is surrounded by a seam.
Figure 2.144.
and cabin.
(59 II 24) FF In the plate above the Steering Stand and Cabin, is the hole through which the whipsta goes. GG is the door to the cabin, and th e bulkhead for the same, HH the bulkhead inside the cabin. C the small hatch around the mizzenmast. K a waterway.
70. The Partner of the Mizzenmast and of the Capstan
This partner was an extra thick plank in the steering deck, lying one level above the step. The position of the partner determined the rake of the mizzenmast. Usually a partner went from deck beam to deck beam for maximum support, but sometimes it was longer and spanned several beams.
Sometimes themizzenmast went throughanother deck, but this opening was no more than a simple hatc h, as in the pinas, on the deck above the steering stand.
Like the c oamings of the h atches, the par tner lay on the deck planks. (Witsen continues the discussion of part- ners in section 93, Make the Partners ready.)
The partner of the capstan lay straight above the step, so the capstan could turn freely. The pawls of the capstan were fastened to the partner because it was stronger than the deck planks.
71. The beams of the Cabin, lies on chocks, as also in the Forecastle.
71. The Beams of the Cabin, Lies on Chocks, as Also in the Forecastle
Above the forec astle and the cabin, a dec k was l aid in the same fashion as the upper deck: first the deck beams were laid on c hocks between the top timbers, and on ly then were the deck clamps fitted. These beams were half the thickness of the stem, the deck clamps only one fifth.
(see p. 116) Plate XLII. Above the steering stand
(54 I 27)
(79 I 51) About the Partner.
7. The partner broad 2 feet 5 inches, thick 4 1⁄2
inches.
8. The hole in the partner wide 151⁄2 inches.
(79 II 5) The partner of the capstan is long 8 feet,
broad 2 feet 3 inches, thick 4 inches. The hole is wide 151⁄2 inches.
Figure 2.143.
(59 II 30) In the plate which shows the forecastle above, B is the small hatch around the foremast. H the binding strak es. Z the small hatches above the bitt standards. Q the skylight grating abaft the bitt standards.
Plate XLIII. The forecastle above.
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