The Construction of Wooden Ships

Carvel Built
one method of constructing a wooden vessel. In Carvel built craft the ribs are set up in the right position on the keel and the planks are bent round them and fastened edge to edge so they lie flush with one another. Thus Carvel is the complete converse of the Clinker process. Generally speaking the early Carvel built ships were used in the Mediterranean countries. Later all big ships were Carvel built.

Clinker Built
Another method of constructing a wooden vessel. Sometimes known as, Lapstrake. In Clinker built craft the keel and the stem and stern posts are set up and the planks are fitted without an internal framework. Starting with the garboard strake each plank overlaps the one below and the two are fastened through the overlap. When the planking is complete the ribs are fitted inside the hull and fastened to the planking. Thus Clinker is the complete converse of the Carvel process. Generally speaking, northern Europe, where the saw was not yet known, built Clinker ships which required less precision in cutting timber but were limited in size.

Terms
Double-Ender - were the Bow and Stern are similar. Draught - the distance between the bottom of the keel and the water line.

Floors - timbers going across the width in the bottom of the hull.

Futtocks - (originally foothooks) in a large ship the ribs are too big to be single pieces of wood steamed and bent and they have to be made from pieces of timber known as Futtocks which are sawn to shape and several of them together form the curved rib or frame.

Garboard Strake - the Strake nearest the Keel. Gunwale – (pronounced Gunnel) strengthens the Sheer Strake.

Lapstrake – another name for Clinker Built.

Sheer Strake - the top Strake. Square Stern - ? Stem Post - the ends of each Strake are fastened to this post to form the Bow. Stern Post - at the Stern, each Strake can be fastened to this post in the same way, making Bow and Stern similar. Strake - a single width of planking running the length of the of the vessel.

Transoms - are timbers running from side to side across the stern and fixed to the stern post.

Wale -is any extra timber added as a band outside the hull.