SAILING CRAFT 83 



the backbone is to a man. A false keel is 

 added to the bottom of this in order to increase 

 its depth and consequent grip. This prevents 

 the side drift which is called making leeway. 

 The false keel is only fastened to the keel itself 

 from underneath, because such a fastening is 

 strong enough to resist water pressure and weak 

 enough to allow of detachment in case of 

 grounding. The slight projection of the keel 

 itself then gives too little purchase for a 

 dangerous amount of leverage on the frame. 

 A long keel is made up of several pieces of 

 square timber, with their ends shaped into 

 scarfs, an overlapping and interlocking arrange- 

 ment of great strength. The foremost keel 

 piece is scarfed into the stem, which is the 

 fore-end of the vessel's bow. The aftermost 

 keel piece joins the stern-post, on which the 

 rudder hangs. Elm makes a good keel, especi- 

 ally with oak for stem and stern-post. 



The frame, to pursue our simile, is to the 

 ship what ribs are to our bodies. In the same 

 way the planking is the skin. The frame, 

 or ribs, determines the vessel's form. There 

 were, and still are, many varieties of frame. 

 In a very small vessel there are very few 

 timbers. The keel is probably all in one piece, 

 and the planks may possibly run from stem 



