Page 235 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

fore-scribed Ship will need a good keel, of two pieces, good, sound and square oak, broad , and thick twenty inches. The scarf of the keel will have to be long, nine feet, and the scarf of the stem seven feet with a good knee aft on the scarf: and the stem shall be two and twenty feet in right angle, thick sixteen inches inside the planking. The oor timbers will be eleven inches in the middle, some timbers fo rward and aft as nec- essary: the bilge futtocks nine inches: the futtocks eight inches, the top timbers at the bilge planking six inches, provided they turn back at the top, and fan out as the Client sees t: the oor timbers, bilge futtocks and futtocks will also be well over lapping, at least ve feet, even more, but not less. The planks from the lowermost bilge planking to the second wale shall be four inches thick, or three of one foot, the k eelson in the hold shall be of two pieces, with a long scarf, covering at least three frames, in breadth being twenty inches, deep nine inches: the ceiling planks inside of good Königsberg planks, laid close together.
Furthermore there will be seven breasthooks in the bow, with a good fore step, and aft over the peak four stern knees with bilge riders, going past the knees, two knees to the ceiling, alongside the ship to the tuck. The tuck will come at eleven and a half feet: the wing transom will be secured with four knees, them being, two alongside the ship and two up and down: the stern timber will have a good knee to each transom, of the long sort, as well as good deck clamps, board two and a half feet, thick ve and a half inches: the deck beams in the hold fourteen inches broad, and deep 15 inches, lying three and a half feet apart, provided that be- tween each deck beam there are three oak ledges and a cross ledge, or carling. At each end of the deck beams there shall be a well-grown hanging knee, of the long kind, shooting down to the bilges, and turning back with the beams: to each beam a good futtock rider go- ing up above the upper deck from the bilges, a hold rider and bilge rider to each futtock rider , a plank on the keelson, with bilge riders, around the main step.
The waterway will come against the futtock rid- ers, and will be six inches thick, broad twen ty inches, between each futtock rider a good chock will be driven, as well as inside and outside a good bilge stringer, thick ve inches, at the water way a ceiling of four and a half inches. The ceiling planks between the main deck and the upper deck will be planed smoothly, thick as required . The deck beams of the upper deck will be ten inches thick, and square, l y- ing apart as underneath the main deck: the upper deck beams to be planed smoothly, the corners with a
half circle, provided that between each beam there lie three ledges, and a car ling, and a well- grown hang- ing knee at each end of the beams: beneath the black strake there will be two wales thirteen inches broad , thick seven inches, each end with long scarfs, cover- ing four or ve frames. The black strak e to be made of three- and four-inch planks, gunports as man y as the Client pleases, to have above the lling strake, two wales wide and broad as the construction requires, with a sheer rail and a p laned half circle. The water- way of the upper deck will be four and a half inches thick, appropriately broad, and cut out one inch in the side, for a spirk eting of three and a half inches to be placed on it; a plank above that, as high as required . Furthermore all well gunwaled , pinrailed, and the upperworks of sound thick dry wainscot, to appl y as the work requires.
Railings and coatings of oak, with three broad channels to each side, with all the sheets, blocks, main and fore mizzen, topsail hal yards, and topsail sheets, knights, kevels, pin racks, and pins, to the wishes of the Client: the main deck to be made of oak planks, thick 21⁄2 inches, the or lop deck of sound deal , or Prussian planks, thick two and a quarter inches, the sapwood removed, planed smoothly underneath, forward, be- low and above binding strakes, in which the ledges lie, as the construction requires between the main deck and the orlop deck: two breast knees to the stem with a good breasthook, in which the bowsprit will be laid. The same to be laid before and abaft the foremast, the mainmast and the mizzenmast, a good partner , thick as the construction requires, with a good capstan, as well as a good bitt, well furnished , with a lining: and in each side two hawseholes and hawse pieces, a sound beakhead, catheads and cross pieces in the beakhead: a gallery to be made aft, with opening doors, a good cabin and quartermaster cabin, and all paneling in the cabin to be made; cupboards, berths, benches, as become, steering stands, cabins with opening doors, crooked timbers, wainscoting of the steering stand , and the cabins to be made with gun positions, also the deck beams in the captain ’s cabin, steering stand and cabins to be planed smoothly, with half a circle to the wainscoting of the cabin, two right-angle knees, captain’s cabin, steering stand and cabins with oak ceiling, and to each beam a small knee above the main deck, as many gunports as the Clien t shall wish, with a bulkhead for ward, with crook ed timbers and gun positions with cleat rails and bulkheads. Furthermore the contractors shall supply a good oak rudder, as well as wood for car vings, and shall pa y for the car ving,
Contracts as Historical Sources
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