An Universal Dictionary of the Marine / Or, a Copious Explanation of the Technical Terms and Phrases Employed in the Construction, Equipment, Furniture, Machinery, Movements, and Military Operations of a Ship. Illustrated With Variety of Original Designs of Shipping, in Different Situations; Together With Separate Views of Their Masts, Sails, Yards, and Rigging. to Which Is Annexed, a Translation of the French Sea-terms and Phrases, Collected from the Works of Mess. Du Hamel, Aubin, Saverien, &c.

by William Falconer

Fig. 2. exhibits a stern view of a 60 gun-ship, with the curve of the frame-timbers on one side, and the disposition of all the planks of the bottom on the other side.

Fig. 3. represents a stern view of a French man of war of 70 guns.

Plate [XI]. fig. 1. is a stern for a first or second rate: accordingly it is furnished with a middle apartment between the ward-room and the captain’s cabin. This apartment is also furnished with galleries on the stern and quarter. The other parts of it are described in the explanation of fig. 1. in plate [X]. See also the article Quarter.

Stern-fast, a rope used to confine the stern of a ship or boat to any wharf or jetty-head, &c.

Sternmost, usually implies that part of a fleet of ships which is in the rear, or farthest astern, as opposed to head-most.

Stern-post, etambot, a long straight piece of timber erected on the extremity of the keel, to sustain the rudder, and terminate the ship behind.

This piece, which is expressed by B in the Pieces of the Hull, plate [I]. ought to be well secured and supported; because the ends of all the lower planks of the ship’s bottom are fixed in a channel, cut on its surface; and the whole weight of the rudder is sustained by it.

The dimensions of the stern-post, or the proportional breadth and thickness, in the different parts of its height, are geometrically delineated in the quarter and stern of a 74 gun-ship, plate [VIII]. and X. being expressed in both by A B. It is usually marked like the stem, with a scale of feet from the keel upwards, in order to ascertain the draught of water, at that part of the vessel.

The difficulty of procuring a stern-post of sufficient breadth in one piece, has introduced the practice of fixing an additional piece behind it, which is strongly bolted to the former. The hinges, which support the rudder, are accordingly fixed to this latter, which is also tenanted into the keel, and denominated the back of the post, being expressed by E in the pieces of the hull, referred to above. It is half the breadth of the stern-post, at the heel, but diminishes gradually towards the upper end, where it is one third narrower.

The stern-post is strongly attached to the keel by a knee, G, Pieces of the Hull, of which one branch extends along the keel, being scarfed and bolted to the dead-wood, and fore-locked under the keel; whilst the other branch inclines upwards, and corresponds with the inside, or fore part of the stern-post; to which it is also bolted in the same manner.