Naming the parts - Glossary.

[Peerie Maa]

There was some debate and difference of opinion on Mike (mmd)'s thread on the Nova Scotia lifeboat. I undertook to consult my library when I returned home so here goes, drawing mostly from Cdr McKee's research with some John Leather to set out the British terminology.

A - Keel
B - Hog
C - My grandfather, working boats off the beach at Thanet called this the hog. However it is more usually the centre board of the bottom or burden boards, or keelson if more substantial and permanently fixed.
D - Bow Grating. If at the back Stern Sheets.
E - Timbers
F - Plank
G - Shear strake
H - Garboard
I - Gunwale, inwale or inwyre, depending on what part of the coast you come from.
J - Capping
K - Rubber or rubbing strake.
L - Breast hook
M - Thwart
N - Standing knees. If the arms run horizontal as on a sailing thwart they are lodging knees.
O - Thwart riser or Rising.
P - possibly a gang way, but only used on craft like rowing barges.
Q - Margin board
S - Bottom or burden boards
T - Bilge rail or keel. Made as small as possible. If on a surf boat or a boat rigged to sail and so likely to capsize will be provided with hand holes along its length.
X - Bilge rising or Skirting rail..

Not shown on the illustration.
Binding strake: the strake below the shear strake.
Chase or Gerralds: the square rebate in the top edge of a plank to allow the next one to fay the stem, sternpost or transom.
Hemming home, browing off, landing or soling: bevelling the lap to make a watertight fay with the next strake.
Landlists: Wear strips fastened under the laps to protect the edges from chafe.
Splay: an alternative to the chase where both planks have a rolling bevel on the ends of the land.
Featherers, Jack Nichols or whiskers: Short rubbing strips fitted at the shear butting the stem


If I have forgotten owt, shout.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

R ?

[Peerie Maa]

R ?

Found it.

R - Apron, or painter ring bolt. Take your pick

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

In the East we would call the bow grating the foresheets, and it need not be a grating; it can be boards. Very handy to have.

[Peerie Maa]

In the East we would call the bow grating the foresheets, and it need not be a grating; it can be boards. Very handy to have.

And to be awkward, sometimes the sheets are set high, as those are drawn, and sometimes they are only a few inches higher than the bottom boards but made into a flat platform.
The sternsheets in this skiff are neither fish nor fowl as far as height goes.
Borwicks skiff.jpg

[J.Madison]

I would call the "chase" a "gain" and the thing above the hog a "keelson"

I've also called the binding strake a "wale strake" especially if thicker than those below it. The "wale" referring to that strake, the sheer strake, and any bulwarks as well I think.

[Peerie Maa]

I would call the "chase" a "gain" and the thing above the hog a "keelson"

I've also called the binding strake a "wale strake" especially if thicker than those below it. The "wale" referring to that strake, the sheer strake, and any bulwarks as well I think.

You are right, I overlooked the gains.
I think that the wale is always thicker. I had not heard of binding strake until I read up for this thread. Until then I was not aware that it had a special name if of the same thickness as the rest of the plank.