Page 71 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

10. Then the Keel Is Laid
Up to this stage all the parts had been made but not yet assembled. The assembly started with laying the keel on the keel blocks, with the keel sagging a little in the middle (half the thickness of the stem). The intention of this sag- ging, or rocker, was that, once the ship was in the water, the upward pressure of the water in the middle of the ship would straighten the keel again.8
Witsen does not elaborate on the keel blocks, contrary to Van Yk, who gives such details as height, number and distance of the b locks, and the pos ition of the so- called dompblokken. We will come back to thi s in section 58 (Finish it all around, to prepare it for launching, and, when ready, launch it), where we find only slightly more information on the method of launching.
11. Remove the Stern timbers or [and] transoms.
11. Remove the Stern Timbers and Transoms
The stern, whose c omponents are described above, was partly disassembled (the f ashion pieces, wing transom,
and the broekstuk were already fastened). Of course, this was done to mak e the entir e construction as light and convenient to handle as possible. The stern timbers and transoms were replaced as soon as the stern was raised and fastened to the keel.
12. Raise the Stem.
(66 II 31) The stem is put on the keel, with its scarf as long as possible and as long as the scarf will permit.
. ..
(148 II 30) As can all clearly be seen on the adjoining plate at letter M [fig. 2.33], where
a is the Katte-block.
b A Gin block.
d Single-sheave block.
e The Shear Mast.
f The plate.
g One of the posts, to which the stays are attached. h Stays.
i The Hook and chain.
12. Raise the Stem
With an impr ovised crane (the so-called shear mast or shears), the stem and sternpost were r aised and set on the keel. It is surprising that in pictures of shipyards, even yards located on the same spot for a long time, no cranes are to be fou nd. Cranes did ex ist at the time, and they frequently appear in depictions of harbors. But apparently they were not thought necessary in a shipyard.
When the stem had a considerable rake, as with the pi- nas, the overlap of the scarf could be made quite long and would provide sufficient connection onto the keel. With a more vertical stem, however, a separate knee was placed between the stem and the keel to reinforce the scarf.
Figure 2.33. Plate LI (drawing M)
How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
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