Shipyard
Mold loft
What would the shipyard have looked like ? The launch way or ship way was where boats and ships were constructed . Massive 30 to 40-foot timbers formed the base of this area spread roughly six to ten feet apart parallel to the shore and covered with thick 4 inch plus decking . On top of the decking sat log rails again placed parallel to the cove on which the ship ’ s keel would rest during construction . The ways were slightly angled , sloping towards the cove so as to facilitate the finished hull of the ship sliding into the cove . To further support the keel and hull , wooden blocks would be placed along both sides of the hull to stabilize it as construction took place . Parts of all these elements still remain .
The main wharf with its massive bulkhead shielded the repair area of the shipyard from the cove allowing boats and ships to be towed or pulled into it . Whether this was a “ wet ” or water filled area where the ships remained afloat or a “ careening ” or dry area where the ships were brought in a high tide then as the water receded , has not yet been established .
Excavations revealed the location of the ships house . The exact size of this structure was not clearly established but it sat up above or to the north of the launch way area based upon foundation stones discovered . This building would have had a number of different uses including a bottom floor area for construction or repair supplies and possibly an office for the master shipwright and a clerk to keep track of expenditures and inventory . The upper floor was typically called the mold loft and it was there where scaled or full-size plans of the various components and parts of the ship ’ s frame were laid out on the floor . These were used by the ship ’ s carpenters under the direction of the master shipwright to fashion the wooden frames and sections that made up the ship .
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