Page 86 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter Two
Figure 2.57. Plate XXVIII. The tingel shapes the limber hole. (For some unknown reason, Witsen draws his tingel with a square instead of a triangular cross section.)
(74 I 31) 1. The turn of the bilge plank ed to a depth of 4 feet 5 inches.
(93 II 29) The hull planks are thick 4 inches.
(81 II 10) About the planking of the Turn of the Bilge.
At the place of the main frame these are planked, to a
depth of 4 feet 51⁄2 inches.
12 Feet forward planked to a depth of 4 feet 8
inches.
11 Feet forward planked to a depth of 4 feet 4
inches.
12 Feet and 5 inches aft, it is planked to a depth of 4
feet 51⁄2 inches.
11 Feet 10 inches aft it is planked to 5 feet 1 inch.
18 Feet 51⁄2 inches aft, there the depth is plank ed to
7 feet 1⁄2 inch.
14 Feet 61⁄2 inches aft, the depth is plank ed to 9 feet
9 inches.
(81 II 42) About the width o f the planking in special places, measured from the middle line. How wide the turn of the bilge is planked.
At the main frame it is wide 13 feet and 6 inches.
12 Feet forward there it is wide, 13 feet 5 inches.
11 Feet 4 inches forward, 12 feet 7 inches.
12 Feet and 5 inches aft, behind the frame, 13 feet 6
inches.
11 Feet and 8 inches aft, 13 feet 51⁄2 inches.
11 Feet and 10 inches aft, 13 feet 51⁄2 inches.
18 Feet 5 inches aft, 13 feet 11⁄2 inches.
14 Feet 61⁄2 inches aft, 11 feet 61⁄2 inches.
This width should be maintained at the height of the
turn of the bilge mentioned before.
(74 I 34 ) 3. The tingel at the k eel, thick 2 inches:
the other side is sharp at the side of the k eel, broad 6 inches, lying from the keel 41⁄2 inches.
21. And Make It Quite Even in Height, When It Is Shored
As with the bottom planking, the bilge strakes were sup- ported by shores to prevent the whole from s agging. And here, too, symmetr y was of paramount importance. To
achieve symmetry, the line th at was stre tched between stem and stern was used as well as the large level (no. 18 in fig. 1.20).
When fashioning a ship’s shell this way, it becomes apparent that obtaining symmetry, notably in the bow and stern, is very difficult. This was a g eneral problem in shipbuilding, so it is not surprising to re ad that many a ship, once launched, had to be leveled with ballast while afloat. This was even true for the Victory, Nelson’s proud ship that now lies at the P ortsmouth dock, despite h av- ing been built according to methods much more advanced (using drawings) than the Dutch method described here.
Symmetry was not the only difficulty. It was very impor- tantthattheshapeoftheboworsternshouldnot angle in too much or flare out, for this would result in grave dif- ficulties later when the planks of the “skin” between the turn of the bilge and the wale (planking called huiddicht, lit., “skin-closed”) were to be j oined with flowing lines. This required a lot of experience and “the eye of the mas- ter” for a successful result.
22. Then make the Frame, the Futtocks.
(60 I 5 2) The futtock: this mak es the width, and depth of the ship, for instance, when setting up a mold of the futtock, then put a nail at the depth of the ship and suspend the plumb from there, and measure the overhang at the turn of the bilge.
. ..
(54 II 38) Futtocks, which are placed here and there in the ships sides, at some in tervals, to fair the framing, or obtain the ships bod y: are also called F rame tim- bers, because they frame the ship, to w hich the other timbers are added.
. ..
(82 II 28) Forward and aft against the posts, at the sides, futtocks are al ways placed: w hich are to ank the posts and keep them secure in place.
. ..
(55 I 45) And futtocks on the oor timbers. Futtocks tight on the oor timbers make strong ships.
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