Reimagining shipbuilding with a single, unified method.
Learn how a model-based system uses uniform planking laid in alternating courses to create strong, buoyant vessels with fewer structural timbers.
This edition explains the core idea: building from a proportioned model, then translating it into full-scale ships without traditional frames, beams, or metal below water. It also covers the practical benefits—tightness, durability, buoyancy, and the potential for faster, cheaper construction—through detailed descriptions and firsthand examples.
- How the model guides every course of planking and the role of moulds in shaping the hull.
- Methods for caulking, papering, and sealing to achieve watertight integrity.
- Evidence and discussion of buoyancy, weight savings, and durability compared with traditional methods.
- Illustrations of sailing performance and the influence of hull form on handling and efficiency.
Ideal for readers curious about historical innovations in ship design and the practical realities of a radical new system.