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Stern Framing Presents Many Problems—Transom, Fantail, and El- liptical Sterns Described—Details of Methods of Stern Construction ~ TERN problems, not only on account of the large number of pieces necessary to build up the stern of a wooden vessel, but also because of framing involves many the number of different types of sterns in use. In fact, it is the stern which gives character to the entire vessel and here we find the most distinctive lines. This has been true of naval architecture in every age. The old Spanish galleons were not specially different in many of their elements from modern wooden ships. They are famous, however, for their exceedingly bizarre, high awkward sterns. The same remarks apply to the Chinese luggers that infest. the Yellow sea. In fact, just as different periods have produced their particular forms of land architecture, so there has been a succession of styles in naval archi- tecture, each of which has grown out of that preceding it. And, as in the case of land architecture, the latest style is preferred for a period as being more beautiful and useful; it gives way, however, in time to other styles which are considered superior to it. In no part of a wooden ship have these differences in style been more marked than at the stern and the problems of construction have been FIG. FIG. 100—DETAIL OF STERN FRAME OF SHIP BEING BUILT FOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT similarly influenced. Today, therefore, we have several different types of sterns in service. Most American wooden ship builders prefer the square or transom stern. This stern may be made either with or without quarter blocks. A good example of the former type is shown in Fig. 124. A transom stern of the latter type, framed with- out the use of quarter blocks, is shown in Fig. 101. For steamers and full-powered mo- 1 By H. Cole Estep tor ships many builders prefer the fantail or elliptical stern. Examples of this stern are shown in Figs. :105, 119 and 125. In fact, this type of stern is so popular with steam ship builders that it might be called the steamer type of stern, just as the straight stem forms the steamet-type bow. We also have conical sterns, which when properly designed are un- usually graceful, as well as the para- bolic or cruiser-type stern. Practical- ly no wooden ships have been built with sterns of the latter two types. In all sterns, the combination of frames is uniform as far aft as the sternpost. Up to this point, the fram- ing is nothing more than a cant arrangement. In both the elliptical and transom sterns, the last of these cants is termed a fashion timber. It is so disposed that the various ele- ments of the stern framing proper can heel against it. The fashion tim- ber of a transom stern is shown very clearly in Fig. 107. This illustration, together with Figs. 108, 109 and 110, shows the details of one method of framing a transom stern. The transom stern is sufficiently important to justify a detailed descrip- tion of one method of timbering / 101—FINISHED TRANSOM STERN ON A 5-MASTED MOTOR SCHOONER. FIG, 102—DETAIL OF RUDDER AND - RUDDERPOST ASSEMBLY 447