What's that thing?

[Sailor1234567890]

I have noticed a lot of models with a curious little horseshoe shaped piece let into the keel by the forefoot. What is it's purpose? It seems to be to strengthen the connection down there but I would think a simple plate would be easier to fashion as well as stronger. Could anyone help me out. Never seen that before.

[druxey]

It is actually called a horseshoe plate and does strengthen the complex three-piece joint there. Actually, there is a plate on each side, and the bolts pass right through. Most models do not show this detail, but it was there on the actual ships.

[mtaylor]

Druxey,

 

Was that a purely English item?  Do you know if other nations used it?

[trippwj]

Not unique to British ships - see the example on the Confederacy.

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/1395-downloadable-instructions-for-the-model-shipways-confederacy-kit/?p=27142

[Sailor1234567890]

That Great Lakes ship's bow is how I would envision it to be. Seems there's so much more effort to fabricate a horseshoe shaped piece than a straight flat piece. Or a circular plate. Thanks for the answers guys. Anybody know when they stopped using them?

[druxey]

'Fish' in the sense used here refers to joining together. An example is fishing a cracked yard with a reinforcement piece. In England, the pieces joining two lengths of railway line rail together were called fish plates. It's quite possible that the word was a corruption from French 'afficher', to stick or put together.