Page 48 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter 1
Figure 1.25.
(185 I 53) 65. A Cradle, used to haul ships of any size on land. 66. A lateral cradle.
67. A Capstan.
Following are the tools which the shipwright’s mates are obliged to bring for themselves, when coming to work and earning a da y’s wages.
Plate LXXVI
which the shipbuilder f aired his strakes. The spline ( 34, below) was a fl exible batten used for several purposes, like drawing curved lines and t aking measurements for planking.
The twenty-foot measuring rod, u nnumbered in Wit- sen’s text, i s mistakenly mentioned w ith the trestle ( 36) but depicted with the spline ( 34, above).
The gin ( 35) is a sm all hoist for lifting weights. C uri- ously, Witsen has the crooked head pointing the wrong way.
The punts and rafts (62, 63, 64) speak for themselves, as does the capstan (67).
Witsen describes the cradle (65) and lateral cradle (66) extensively:
When preparing to bring a Ship back on to the yard, one shoves this beam or plank under the keel of the Ship from the fore end to the rear , steering it with hooks at the sides and at the rear , in such a way that it lies straigh t underneath and against the k eel. Then the Cradle is tied to both sides against the Ship with loose ropes: for w hich it is perforated at numer- ous places as said , that it does not slide awa y. To the rear end of the C radle a handspike or beam is shoved in the hollow groove touching the sternpost, and nailed down through the hole across w hich is above; and so the sternpost is xed; and thus wound up over numerous sheaves, the en tire Ship can be hoisted on land, the bottom of the C radle as the slipwa y being
30
(185 II 13)
Figure 1.24. Plate LXXVI
(185 I 47) 62. An open Punt to sail with; used for pitch and for resinous rope. As shown with its upper structures at No. 63.
64. Rafts.