A Nautical Glossary
A photo of a model and two drawings show the remains of the Ma’agan Micha’el ship as reconstructed by investigators. A list of nautical terms, in alphabetical order, follows.
Bow: the front of a ship
False Keel (or Shoe): protective planks attached to the bottom of the keel
Floor Timber: part of the frame centered over the keel, with arms spanning both sides of the bottom of the hull
Frame: transverse timbers that reinforce the hull planking and give a ship its shape; akin to ribs in a human torso
Futtock: an extension of a floor timber
Hull: the body of a ship
Keel: the backbone of a ship, running along the lowest part of the hull from stem to stern
Mast Step: a frame or slot into which the lower end of the mast fits
Mortise-and-Tenon Joints: a connection between two timbers in which a protrusion, the tenon, is inserted into a corresponding slot, or mortise
Shoe: see False Keel
Stanchion: an upright post or support
Stem Post: an upright timber at the bow of a ship
Stern: the rear of a ship
Stringer: an internal keel, mounted on top of the floor timbers and directly above the keel, providing additional strength to the hull
Wales: thick planks on the side of a ship used to strengthen the hull