And a boy who can build a good ship is not to be laughed at by any
mechanic or architect, no matter how tall or how old he may be.
The young ship-builder who understands his trade, when he is about to
put a vessel on the stocks--to speak technically--first makes up his
mind whether it is to be a ship, a schooner, a sloop, or merely a
sail-boat, and determines its size. Then he selects a good piece of
solid, but light wood, which will be large enough for the hull. Pine
is generally used; but if he can get a piece of well-seasoned white
willow, he will find it to work very easily. Then he shapes his hull
with knife and saw, according to the best of his ability. On this
process the success of the whole undertaking depends. If the bottom is
not cut perfectly true on both sides, if the bow is not shapely and
even, if the stern is not rounded off and cut up in the orthodox
fashion, his ship will never sail well, no matter how admirably he may
execute the rest of his work. If there is a ship or boat builder's
establishment anywhere within reasonable walking distance, it will
well pay our young shipwright to go there, and study the forms of
hulls.
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