Page 93 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

How Ships Are Built in Holland Today
29. Make and level the Bilges.
29. Make and Level the Bilges
“Leveling the bilges” means that the inner sur face of the floor timbers, bilge futtocks, and futtocks were smoothed with an adze to prepare them for the ceiling (inner plank- ing). Because the thickness of the timbers always varied considerably, this was nec essary for tying the ceiling and stringers together effectively.
2. The ceilings in the bilges, and on bottom, are some- what thinner than the bilge strakes.
(256 II 27) The Ceiling planks in the bilges are thicker than anywhere else, because there the pounding of the water is the most.
(74 II 26) About the Ceiling Planks.
Before applying the ceiling, oneshouldhave dubbed o .
The bilge stringer is laid over the bilge strak e, which often goes beyond the boxing scarf, but not all the way forward to the stem: on w hich the ceiling is put, which goes to the stem, and rst 4 ceiling strakes are made above the bilge stringer and 3 below it, be- fore the bottom is also given ceiling, etc. as can all be seen at the illustrations.
(67 II 40)
30. Fit the ceiling in the Bilges.
12. About the Ceiling, in the bilges and the bottom.
1. The bilge stringer is a little thick er than outside planking of the bilge.
Figure 2.68. Plate XXVII. A bilge plank and its joint.
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