THE SCHOONER EVANGELYN

SAIL PLAN

TIMBER USED IN SHIPBUILDING AT ESSEX AND GLOUCESTER

One of the reasons why shipbuilding became established in Massachusetts in colonial
times was the great white oak and pine forests in the colony.Pinkies and schooners were
built with oak frames, keels,posts, plank, and beams; with white pine decks and deck
furniture; until into the 1840s. Then southern long-leaf yellow pine,juniper, maple,
birch, and spruce were employed as substitutes for the vanished white oak supply.
Unfortunately ,the great Maine forests produced only red oak, considered poor ship timber
by Massachusetts ship carpenters. White oak fibers are closed ended, red oak fibers are not
and will absorb water lose shape and rot. This led to the importation of yellow pine and of
Maryland and Virginia white oak after 1865. Hence the selection of the best timbers for a
schooner varied with the date of build

From 1845 to 1865 some oak was used,with spruce or white pine top timbers,pine and oak
plank were available,except during the war.

From 1865 on the following timbers were employed:
Keel - white oak, yellow pine, maple or birch, scarphed.
Stem & stern posts- white oak
Keelsons-Yellow pine,scarphed,red or white oak,maple or birch.
Plank-white oak,rail to bilge, yellow pine or birch below for a smooth bottom.
Ceiling-oak , yellow pine, or birch.
Clamps-yellow pine,birch,spruce.
Deck beams-deckframe,carlins,etc white oak.
Knight heads-white oak.
Frames, bulwark stanchions- oak,yellow pine,spruce.
Stern apron,stern knee - oak
Deadwoods--yellow pine, oak,maple,birch.
Great beam, hatch coamings, sills, mast or fife rails, posts, windlass bed,windlass knees,
--quarter bitts,allrails,chockreil,pawl post--white oak.
Windlass barrel- oak.
Rudderstock and blade--oak.
Decking--White pine.
Plank-sheer,monkey rail,cabin trunk,wheelbox, fore companionway.skylights,slide hatch-white pine
Masts,booms, gaffs, topmasts-white pine After 1895 "Oregon Pine" or fir, masts became popular;
--the spars were white pine of fir. Afew vessels had yellow pine masts.
Bowsprits--oak,fir, yellowpine,white pine.

In the last years of the sailing schooners, western fir,larch and long-leaf yellow pine were used
very extensively in hull construction and for spars, as these timbers could be obtained in longer
lengths. Vessels built at Essex for Gulf Coast owners were framed entirely with lon-leaf yellow
pine. Decks, etc were of southern cedar,teak,junper.Maine spruce was used for small spars.

Source
The American Fishing Schooners 1825-1935
Howard I Chapell
@1973 WW Norton & Co
ISBN 0-393-03123-3

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UP DATED 01-01-2005
Built By: TOM MORSE