SHIP-BUILDING. 



the aft-fide of the rabbet ; and another line parallel four inches 

 before it (or at the thicknefs of the bottom plank) is the 

 fore-fide of the rabbet, which will iiiterfeft the after-perpen- 

 dicular at the gun-deck. Thus far the llern-polt at prelent. 



Having fixed on the length of the gun-deck, the next 

 principal dimenfion to be confidered is the main-breadth, and 

 this, in fhips of war in general, is about three-elevenths of 

 the laid length for their moulded breadth, and in merchant- 

 ftiips about three-twelfths of their length ; excepting cutters 

 and fmaller venels. The moulded breadth given in Plate 1. 

 of the 74-gun fhip, is 48 feet. 



Before we proceed, it will be necefl'ary here to remark, 

 that much has been faid in regard to the breadth to be given 

 to a vell'el in refpeft t.i her length, and in what part of that 

 length it is bell to place it ; as being the feftion of the greateft 

 area of the whole vefiel, its true Ctuation becomes an objeft 

 of importance. 



Thofe who would diminifh the breadth have alleged, 

 and truly, that a narrow veffel meets with lefs refiltance in 

 palling through the water, and by increafing in length, the 

 ▼effel will drive lels to leeward, and the water-lines confe- 

 quently be more delicately formed to divide the fluid ; that a 

 long narrovv (hip will require lefs fall to gain velocity, confe- 

 quently the malls' will be lower, the rigging lighter, and the 

 veffel navigated by fewer hands. On the contrary, a Ihip's 

 being broader at the line of floatation will admit of being nar- 

 rower on the floor, particularly at the fore and after parts ; that 

 by being broader it can carry more (ail, and more readily rife 

 upon the waves than a narrow one. The breadth, and its 

 fituation, when determined on, require much flcill in nar- 

 rowing therefrom, as we approach the keel, particularly 

 forward and aft, to give that form to the body under water 

 that fliall belt anfwer in dividing the fluid, enable her to 

 carry the lower tier of guns fufliciently out of the water, 

 prevent her pitching, and give a free padage to the rudder, 

 that ftiemay readily anfwer her helm. 



Now to prevent the veffel pitching, the fore-body mull 

 be fo (haped, that its bearings fhould catch the vefiel in its 

 defcent, that is, the harpin fhould increafe in breadth up- 

 wards, and the bow be fo formed, as rather to throw off the 

 fea than pitch or bury in it: a long floor, with little rifing 

 afore and abaft, the difplacement of the fore-body to be duly 

 proportioned to the after-body, and hollow water-lines, or 

 infleftcd curves at the fore part, are to be carefully avoided. 

 Taking into confideration the weight of the anchors on the 

 bows, we may eafily conceive, that with the preflurc of the 

 wind upon the fails, without fufiicient bearing in the fore- 

 body, the bow would be prefTed down into the hollow of 

 every fea ; and if the greatefl area or midfhip-bend were 

 placed too far aft, the uipport would only be in the after- 

 body, and this would tend to plunge her bows iliU deeper, 

 and retard her velocity, and the free paffage of the water to 

 the rudder. 



In order that the (hip fhould fteer well, and quickly an- 

 fwer her helm, the wing-tranfom mull not be placed too h)W, 

 nor the fafhlon-pieces too full below the load- water line; and 

 the narrowing of the floor, or half-breadth of the rifing, not 

 continued too full towards aft, but that the water-hnes, as 

 they approach the (Icrn-polt, may taper handfomely into 

 the fame, fo that every fucceeding water-line, as they ap- 

 proach nearer the keel, may have their curvature more deli- 

 cate, as may be feen by referring to the half breadth plan in 

 Plate I. It is alfo evident, that the prompt effeft of the 

 rudder mull depend in a great meafure on the clcannefs of the 

 fhip's run, fo that the fluid fhall have an unimpeded paflage 

 to it, whereby its iaclinatioo fhall have the greatcli effort 

 from the water. 



That a fliip may carry her guns well above the water, a 

 long floor timber will be neceflary, and not much rifing ; the 

 midfhip-frame fhould be very full, upper futtocks nearly 

 ftraight, upper works very light, and kept as low as pof- 

 fible, and the wing-tranfom not placed too high. 



To make a fhip tarry her guns well above water, carry 

 much fail, be a fail failer, and likewife fleer well, are four 

 fuch rare qualities, as are hardly to be united in the fame 

 vefiel, becaufe it would require a very full bottom and great 

 breadth to gain the two former qualities, and Icfa breadth 

 and z (harp or clean bottom to gain the latter ; but if we 

 confider that a full fhip will carry more fail <han a (harp 

 one, we may perceive the pofTibility of fo conllrufting the 

 body, as to poffefs thele qualities, and they may be fo 

 united, that each of them may be difcerntd in fome degree 

 of eminence, for it is not poflible that all of them can be 

 united in one budy to a degree of perfeftion ; we mud, 

 therefore, while we retain a portion of each, give the fupe- 

 riority to that which is moll confident with the purpofes for 

 which the veffel is peculiarly defigned. 



Hence it is plain, that judicioufly placing the midfhip- 

 bend is of the utmoll conitqucnce in the conllrudlion of 

 fhips' bodies ; and its being placed nearer forward, will, 

 coiiftquently, make the fore body more full, and will bed 

 anfwer every purpofe, efpecially that of velocity ; and 

 although it is plain, that by fo doing the entrance of the 

 fhip will he more full, and prefent apparently more abfolute 

 force againll the refilling medium, than when the midfhip- 

 bend is placed nearer to the middle of the fhip's length, yet 

 by placing it more forward, the body will decline liori- 

 loiitally fo much the quicker, and part of the effeft of that 

 refinance, caufed by the lateral prelTurc of the water, will 

 be leflened, which mud certainly be of more Icr/ice to the 

 velocity, than what is loll by making the fore-part of the 

 fhip fomewhat fuller, and this feems to promife the conneflion 

 of capacity with velocity, the two great objeAs to be pur- 

 fued in the formation of fhips' bodies under water. In ad- 

 dition to this, by carrying the midfhip-bend forward, a fhip 

 will deer better, and the rudder have the more command to 

 bear up the fhip in a gale of wind ; for when a fhip ii under 

 a prefs of fail, the water is forced up at the bow above the 

 horizontal, and the bow likewife prefli-d down, which 

 amounts to nearly the fame, with refpeft to her helm, as if 

 the fliip was trimmed by the head : again, fhips that carry 

 their helm ainidfhips in light winds, require it more a-wca- 

 ther when the wind blows. 



After all that has been written concerning the placing 

 of the midfllip-bend, all i.gree to place it before the middle 

 of the length, or about five-twelfths of the length abaft the 

 foremod-perpendicular ; but in Plate I. which (hip has flood 

 the ted of experiment, it was placed at 69 feet abaft the 

 foremod-perpendicular, confequently this is the broadell part 

 of the fhip, called the middiips, or dead-flat, known by this 

 charadler ,;, and where all the heights in midfliips are fet 

 up. From © the llations of all the timbers may be fet off; 

 but it will only be neceflary to fquare up a perpendicular at 

 the joint of every frame-timber, their didance being double 

 that of the room and (pace, which in Plait I. is two feet 

 nine inches. 



The dead-flat in Plate 1. is a fingle timber, and the per- 

 pendicular, marked -j^, the middle of it : therefore, for the 

 joints of the annexed frames fet off before 0, two feet nine 

 inches for the joint of (A), and two feet nine inches abaft p 

 for the joint of (i), fquare up perpeiidicnlais from the upper 

 edge of the keel; then from (A) continue letting ofl five 

 feet fix inches for the joints of frame B, C, 1), to X, in the 

 fore-body, and the fame didance abaft (I) for the joint* of 

 3 T 2 frame 



