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References to yellow
pine in the British context indicate what is known in America as white
pine, which is a beautiful soft pale yellow timber used for pattern
making. Its
use for ships' decks could only be where there was to be no handling of
any heavy sharp-cornered hatch webs or deck cargoes.
A noticeable
feature about the wood, iron or composite ship is the attachment of the
rigging to the ship's side. The wooden ships had their shrouds,
backstays etc. led outboard and attached to the hull over projecting
channels, with deadeyes and lanyards from chainplates. The earliest
iron ships also had this arrangement. The later iron clippers with
plate bulwarks and waterwa ys started the system of attaching the
rigging inboard from iron rods (chainplates) attached to the inside
lower part of the bulwark, still with deadeyes. If the iron hull had
wooden bulwarks and waterways, which was sometimes the case for good
appearance, the channels and outboard attachments would apply.
Composite ships also, with iron bulwarks, would have the rigging
chainplates inboard, and outboard channels if wooden bulwarks. In the
latter case, the preventer bolts and chainplate bolts would be fastened
through the hull at a depth below the sheerstrake so as not to pierce
and weaken it.
The drawings showing the various forms of construction also
indicate different methods of planking up the bulwarks, which were a
noticeable feature, especially if the seams were beaded or bevelled, as
with many American ships.
The setting up of rigging with stretching screws instead of
deadeyes occurred at a later date than the tea clipper era, although
there is an occasional mention of bowsprit rigging being set up with
screws around the stem. Iron deadeyes were also used in some instances
instead of the usual lignum vitae; naval vessels used elm.
During the last war a friend of mine was chief officer on a
troop transport which put into the Falkland Islands. He took a boat's
party around the harbour for some relaxation and boarded the hulk of
the Great Britain, built in 1843 , which was lying afloat there at the
time. Finding some deadeyes still in place he sent back for the
hacksaw, and after sawing through the bolt succeeded in freeing one
which was of cast iron, about 12 in. in diameter. For the next two
years he carried it around the seven seas through strafings and
bombings until he finally berthed at his home port of London.
Leaving
the dock with the weighty deadeye in his luggage, he waited an
unconscionable time without a bus or taxi appearing, until in disgust
he deposited his burden on the kerbstone and hiked into town. So if any
resident of East Ham has a large cast iron bun with three holes. . . In
the sectional view of the keel and floor plate on the drawing of
composite construction (24) it will be noticed that the bottom of the
floor plate is a straight sloping line towards the keel and the
garboard plank is extra thick with a slight hollow fairing into the
bottom planking
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