Smith, John: A Sea Grammar, 1627.

p 55. Iron sicke, is when the Bolts, Spikes, or Nailes are so eaten with rust they stand hollow in the plankes, and so makes her leake, the which to preuent, they vse to put lead ouer all the bolt heads vnder water.

p 4. . . . now all those plankes vnder water, as they rise and are ioyned one end to another, the fore end is called the Butt-end in all ships, but in great ships they are commonly most carefully bolted, for if one of those ends should spring, or giue way it would be a great troublesome danger to stop such a leake, the other parts of those plankes are made fast with good Treenailes and Trunnions of well seasoned timber, thorow the timbers or ribs, but those plankes that are fastened into the ships stem are called whoodings.

p 14. . . . all the Orlope to be laid with square tree inch planke, and all the plankes to be treenailed to the beames.

p 6. (portholes) . . . by them fasten your Ringbolts for the tackles of your Ordnances, you vse Ringbolts also for bringing the plankes and wailes to the ship side, and Set bolts for forcing the waorkes and plankes together, Clinch bolts are clinched with a riueting hammer for drawing out. But Rag bolts are so iaggered that they cannot be drawne out. Fore locke bolts hath an eye at the end, whereinto a fore locke of iron is driuen to keepe it from starting backe. Fend bolts are beat into the outside of a ship with the long head to saue her sides from galling against other ships. Drive bolts is a long piece of iron to driue out a treenaile, or any such thing, besides diuers others so vsefull that without them and long iron spikes and nailes, nothing can be well done; yet I haue knowne a ship built, hath sailed to and againe ouer the maine Ocean, which had not so much as a naile of iron in her but onely one bolt in her keele.


Smith, John: A Sea Grammar, 1627

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius


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