Page 75 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Figure 2.40.
Plate LI (drawing PP)
16. Drill the Stopwaters in the Stem and in the Keel
Because the surfaces of the scarfs between the different construction elements were large and it was therefore im- possible to get a watertight fit, holes were drilled straight across the se ams. According to Engli sh practice, the scarfs were filled with tarred flannel or sometimes tar and hair, but the Dutch practice for make the joints watertight consisted of drilling holes through them, filling them with moss, and plugging up the outsides with wooden dowels. The water seeping in would swel l the mos s, making the scarfs watertight (see fig. 2.4).
At this point the first phase of the building process was complete, and the yard personnel would be treated to ste- vensbier (“stem-beer” or wine).
17. Make the Garboard strake.
Figure 2.41.
Boxing scarf, stem
Of paramount importance for the event ual hull form was the pl ace where the rabbet started to turn for the planks to come to vertical at the stern. Therefore, only the master apprentice or the m aster shipwright himself cut the rabbet. If the r abbet was cut in suc h a way that the garboard strake, the fi rst plank, ended up st anding too vertical, this was easily repaired us ing the Klaes Jac ob- szen (no. 8 in fig. 1.20). If the plank ended up not vertical enough, one could only cure this by bending it upward by means of the same tool, which of course would result in a gaping open se am below, between the pl ank and the keel, which could hardly be caulked.
Witsen describes a trick the shipbuilder applied at the stem: one par t of the r abbet, halfway up the stem, was already cut when the stem was still ly ing on the ground. After joining stem and keel he would span a natural curve between the r abbet of the k eel and the alre ady existing segment in the stem with a straight flexible batten, giving it a good natural roundness. By following the ribband with a chalk, the cur ve was copied onto the stem and c ould then be cut. With very vertical stems this line would g o over the stem knee, but only just.
16. Drill the Stopwaters in the Stem and in the Keel.
Here in Amsterdam, as soon as the Stems and Keel are made, the planks next to them, w hich make the body of the ship, are put in place, but at the Meuse they leave an opening at both sides of the keel, which is shut only in the last instan t, when the Ship is to be launched . Which is done to easil y get rid of all that was left lik e shavings, chips etc. w hile build- ing through the bottom. When the keel and stems are in position a line is strung fore and aft, to know the middle of the ship and apply an equal amount of tim- ber to each side.
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How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
(74 I 24 ) The seam between the sternpost and the keel, is sealed with stopwaters.
(150 II 33)
When the Span t [the stem-keel-stern con-
and when the scarfs are joined , then in the rabbet a stopwater is drilled from below, that no water may come through there.
(150 I 28)
struction] is standing, then a start is made with the garboard strake, with planking, and with the turn of the bilge. When making the garboard strake, here and there a hole is chiseled in the plank and with a com- pass it is checked if it is of the same breadth inside and outside. Then with the compass along the keel, what- ever is to be removed of the plank is drawn on to it, then the plank is removed , and with a line rst what is to be removed from the inside is indicated , as the chiseled holes indicate, and so the plank turns w here it is removed , and then the line is drawn w here the
(149 I 14)
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