There are several special operations connected with ship work, particularly shipsmithing, sparmaking, and rigging, which will not be explained in detail, as they are highly specialized trades in themselves. Even though the iron work turned out by the shipsmiths, and the spars and rigging prepared by the sparmakers and riggers, generally require some woodwork preparation when they are fitted in place, it is usually of such simple nature as to require little or no comment here.

This final chapter takes up the problem of hull planking, and ends with a general discussion of joiner work. The previous chapter, it will be remembered, ended with the laying of the decking, and it has been mentioned that the planking of the hull would generally be under way at the same time. In fact, it is often started before any decking is laid, and in any case should be under way as soon as the ceiling has been completed.

The frames, as with the ceiling, must be dubbed fair so that the planks will fay properly to the timbers. Where no diagonal strapping or planking is used the dubbing is generally done at the same time as the planking, it being necessary only to keep the dubbers far enough ahead of the planking gang to be out of the way. But where the construction calls for either diagonal steel strapping, or diagonal planking, the entire frame should be dubbed fair before either is applied. And, of course, the planking proper cannot proceed until the diagonal stuff is in place. The only exception to this would be where the steel strapping ends at the heads of the floors in which case the gar-boards and some of the bottom planking may be run on while, or even before, the steel strapping is being placed.

Some portions of the hull erections may he completed before the decking is laid, but the bulkheads enclosing them cannot be built until after the decking is laid. Hence it is quite common to leave all of these erections, with the exception of solid work around the stern, where used, until after the main deck has been completed.

As soon as the decks have been laid over the hull erections or, if there are no hull erections, as soon as the uppermost hull deck is laid, the joiner houses may be started. The completion of the joiner houses will in the main complete the construction work on the ship and it is at this point in most cases, assuming that the planking and calking has been completed that the ship is launched. Where work is being rushed, ships are frequently launched as soon as the planking and calking is finished, regardless of the work on the joiner houses since this work can be carried on after the ship is in the water.

Masts are generally not stepped until after the vessel has been launched and the setting up of the rigging which has been previously prepared by the riggers naturally follows the stepping of the masts. It is the best practice to have the upper ends of the standing rigging attached to the masts before they are stepped.

There are many items of equipment which may or may not be placed upon the ship before launching. Ironwork such as the stem iron, side, or cheek plates on the stern-and rudder-posts, arch reinforcing plates, and similar details should all be in place before launching. Likewise all sea chests should be complete and fitted with strainers and valves. All bollards, chocks, mooring rings, hawse pipes, etc., should be in their places, and properly fastened, so that means will be provided for attaching lines or cables for checking the headway of the vessel after it leaves the ways during launching, and for mooring to the dock of outfitting pier later on. Loose equipment, and boiler and engine-room equipment including the boilers, main propelling engines and auxiliaries, are not generally installed until after the vessel is in the water. The propeller and tail shaft, with its bearings, are often shipped while the vessel is still on the stocks and this, where possible, is most desirable as it saves docking the vessel to ship these items.

Rudders, whether of wood or steel, are more readily shipped when the vessel is still on the stocks, but if so shipped they must be very strongly shored in the midship, or fore and aft, position to prevent their swinging about and doing damage not only to the rudder itself, but the ship as well, during launching.

During the stages of construction covered in this chapter, the order of procedure depends largely upon the order in which materials and outfit are supplied to the yard. It is also often a matter of choice or custom on the part of the yard management. This applies particularly to the state of completion at which the vessel may be launched. While in most localities the vessel is launched in a more or less uncompleted condition, in some it has been the custom to launch vessels, particularly sailing vessels, complete, with all rigging and equipment, ready for the sea. Steamers are seldom held on the stocks until completed in every respect.

Since the order of procedure may vary considerably the tabulation as given in other chapters is omitted.

Large vessels must be reinforced with either diagonal iron strapping, or diagonal planking. While both of these arrangements are quite old, the use of diagonal planking did not until quite recently come into favor.

Both systems are applied directly on the outside of the frames. For either to be efficient and accomplish the purpose for which it is intended, requires extreme care in fitting so that fair contact with the frames is secured at all points.