Lapstrake planking

[Fritzlindsay]

Was lapstrake planking used on English ships in the 18th century?  I know some ship's boats used this kind of planking and very early ships used this, but were any of the English brigs and other smaller ships built using this method of planking?

Thanks

Fritz

[cotrecerf]

Hi Fritz,

some Navy Cutters (10-12 three- or four-pounders mid-eighteenth century) were lapstrake built, e.g. Hawke, Alert.

I'm building the English Cutter (af Chapman plan LX No. 6) in lapstrake  planking. 

 

Cheers

 

Joachim

[tlevine]

Take a look at Swallow 1779.  She was a 14 gun brig, originally built as a merchant ship but bought by the Navy during construction.  (link with my signature)

[Fritzlindsay]

Regarding lapstrake or clinker planking I know there was a diminishing of the overlap near the bow, but was there also a similar gain at the stern?

Thanks

 Fritz

 

 

[druxey]

Usually, but not always on open boats.

[Kenchington]

It depends on the type of stern. If the lapped planks end on a transom, there is little need to increase the bevel, as the outer edge of the transom can be joggled to receive the full thickness of each plank. However, on a double-ended hull, with the hood ends of the planks in a rabbet on the stern post, the lands (the exposed lower edges of the planks) must be fined away until they disappear at the rabbet -- just as the forward hood ends must at the stem rabbet.

 

Of course, many lapstrake hulls have the lowest strakes run to the post and only higher ones meeting a transom, while prams have transoms both fore and aft. Then there have been more particular practices in some times and places: Dory laps, for example, or the Norse practice of carving stem and post with "wings" that looked like planking fining away to nothing but avoided the inevitable weakness.  Best to study the prototype of whatever hull you are modelling, if you can.