Shipyard
Mold loft
What would the shipyard have looked like? The launch way or ship way was where boats and ships were constructed. Massive 30 to 40-foot timbers formed the base of this area spread roughly six to ten feet apart parallel to the shore and covered with thick 4 inch plus decking. On top of the decking sat log rails again placed parallel to the cove on which the ship’ s keel would rest during construction. The ways were slightly angled, sloping towards the cove so as to facilitate the finished hull of the ship sliding into the cove. To further support the keel and hull, wooden blocks would be placed along both sides of the hull to stabilize it as construction took place. Parts of all these elements still remain.
The main wharf with its massive bulkhead shielded the repair area of the shipyard from the cove allowing boats and ships to be towed or pulled into it. Whether this was a“ wet” or water filled area where the ships remained afloat or a“ careening” or dry area where the ships were brought in a high tide then as the water receded, has not yet been established.
Excavations revealed the location of the ships house. The exact size of this structure was not clearly established but it sat up above or to the north of the launch way area based upon foundation stones discovered. This building would have had a number of different uses including a bottom floor area for construction or repair supplies and possibly an office for the master shipwright and a clerk to keep track of expenditures and inventory. The upper floor was typically called the mold loft and it was there where scaled or full-size plans of the various components and parts of the ship’ s frame were laid out on the floor. These were used by the ship’ s carpenters under the direction of the master shipwright to fashion the wooden frames and sections that made up the ship.
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