The Shipwright

Building the Hull

Laying the Keel:
The first stage also starts with the laying of a keel. The keel of a cog, unlike other keeled vessels, is usually made of three sections scarfed together. The center section is the longest and the end sections are cut from a trunk that has a branch coming out at an angle so that the change of angle between the keel and posts is worked out of solid timber. The keel of a cog is also rabbeted as are the stem and stern posts, allowing them to have the hull‘s strakes fastened to them securely. In addition, the cog’s keel has parallel sides from end to end. Next the inner stem and stern posts are scarfed to the ends of the keel. A cog’s posts are also another of its distinguishing features; instead of being curved, they are straight and made of two pieces of timber, one outer and one inner for stem and stern each. Another characteristic of the cog is that its keel is not laid on a level course, but rose slightly from stern to stem. The entire keel is placed on blocks to keep it in position and spares support the posts themselves.

Straking the Lower Hull and Installing Floors:
Once the keel is in place, it is time to start installing the hull’s strakes. Unlike keeled vessels, the planks used in the strakes of a cog are often sawn, rather than radially split. The first sets of strakes on each side of the keel, up to the turn of the bilge, are flush-laid, another characteristic differentiating a cog from a keeled vessel. Like a keeled vessels, it usually takes more than one plank to form a strake, the ends of the planks being scarfed together in order to make them long enough. At the ends of the ship the initial bottom strakes transition from flush-laid to clinker construction, thus requiring specialized joinery skills. Each run of strakes and their associated planks will have caulking material applied to the seams before construction. As construction continues, additional caulking material is applied to the inside of the hull over the seams of the flushed-laid planks and held in place by oak strips fastened into place with iron staples. Three or more strakes are usually used up to the turning of the bilge, larger vessels having four or five. At this point four floor timbers are attached to the lower strakes using treenails. Next, the strake that turns the bilge is installed; the remaining floor timbers are now installed. The last element in this stage of the vessel’s construction is the attachment of the keelson onto the floor timbers using treenails; it is not attached to the keel.

Straking the Upper Hull and Installing Inner Frameworks:
In this stage the sides of the vessel are built up to the level of the through-beams. Strakes are laid in clinker fashion up to this level. On a moderately sized vessel around four or five strakes are used on each side. Futtocks are then fixed to the insides of the hull using treenails and scarfed to their corresponding floor timbers. At this point the through-beams are laid into place. A moderate vessel may have four or five such timbers, with larger vessels having more; this was all dependent on the projected deck plan for the vessel. The beam itself was placed over tenons projecting from the tops of selected futtocks. In addition, recesses are cut about a foot from each end of the beams so they can be locked into the strakes that will be around them.

The final stage of the hull’s construction starts with the placement of the strakes that will lock the through-beams into place. These strakes have cut-outs to fit over the beams and are slide into place and clenched to the previous strake. Next, the final strakes are added to the sides to reach the level of the sheerline. Framing timbers are added to the insides of the hull and the areas above the beams receive inner planking. The final strake usually ends on the last piece of framing instead of projecting to the stem post. A channel wale is also attached on the outboard side of the final strake. When put into place, washboard planks are flushed- laid to the tops of the upper strake. To the stern, a framework of timbers is left protruding above the upper strake for the addition of a stern castle. Finally, the outer stem and stern post are added to the vessel. The outer stem post protruding well above the level of the upper strake, giving a point to which the forestay is attached. The outer stern post has iron mountings attached to it so that the rudder can be hung from it. At this point the vessel can be launched and fitted out in the water, or it can be fitted out in its slip.

Rigging and Outfitting

Rigging:
The mast and its associated rigging are put into place along with the ship’s yard and sail.

Outfitting:
During this stage the vessel will have its deck installed according to plan. The stern castle is completed and if desired a fore castle.

Most cogs will have at least one winding gear installed to assist in handling the anchor and the yardarm. There are two types of winding gear used on a cog.

• The horizontal windlass is usually placed under the stern castle or just in front of it. The windlass is usually used to assist in raising and lower the yard and in loading and offloading trade goods. It can also be used to raise the ship’s anchor if a capstan is not present.
• The capstan has four to six removable arms and is usually placed in the stern castle. The upper portion of the capstan is on the top of the castle and the shaft runs down through it into the lower hull. The capstan is usually used when raising and lower the ship’s anchor.

The tiller for the rudder comes through the rear of the vessel into the area inside of the stern castle. From this point on the vessel is fitted out to the personal tastes of its owner and/or captain.