CROSS SECTION OF LONGSHIP and raw materials show ingenuity in construction. The straight tree provides angled knees, used to brace the frames. The curving tree furnishes hull-hugging frames as well as stem posts and stern posts. The oak heartwood provides the T-shaped keel. Thanks to the technique of splitting green logs in a radial pattern, all hull planking had the same cross section, which guaranteed uniformity of strength and resilience throughout the ship.
Image: Barry Ross