United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

Page 13 text:

DONALD E. McKAY KING OF THE CLIPPERS A man of vision, a dreamer with the energy and ability to make his dreams a practical reality, a ship- designer endowed with the creative genius of an artist and the clear perception of an engineer, a pioneer in the field of nautical mechanics who blazed a path when others held back, Donald McKay stands today as the epitome of those qualities which symbolized the spirit of a growing, young America. His name is indelibly inscribed in the pages of history with that high-spirited and inspiring Age of Clipper Ships, an age which he did more than any other man to glorify with the creations of his brain and hand. To the memory of this man we respectfully dedicate this, the 1962 edition of MIDSHIPS. Conversion After the moulds were completed the process of con- version began. This consisted of cutting the logs of timber into pieces nearly of the shape required for build- ing. Most of this work was done by hand with saws and adzes, although McKay introduced the steam saw mill to do this work in his yard. After the timbers for the ship had been properly cut and sorted they were formed and trimmed by siding, moulding, and beveling.

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DEDICATED TO Laying Down After the pieces of timber for the ship had been selected and collected in the shipyard, the lines of the architect’s plans, or of the waterline model, were trans- ferred, scaling them to the exact size of the ship, to the mould loft floor. Permanent lines were marked on the floor with a scriber, and temporary ones with chalk. Moulds, or patterns, which were actually skelton frame- works made of battens, were then made from the lines laid down on the floor.

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DEDICATED TO Building the Hull The keel was always the first part of the ship to be laid. This having been done, the stem and stem- post were carefully joined and treenailed to the keel. The frame, built of two layers of timber, was generally assembled on the ground and then lifted into place. Finally, the internal strength members were installed and the hull was planked.