Wood, Steel, Fiberglass

The material of a hull decides the trades that build it. This reading follows three.

Wood

For thousands of years ships were wooden. Builders set up a keel, raised frames and fastened planks to them. Seams were caulked with oakum or cotton driven in with a mallet and iron and sealed with pitch. Baltimore's Fells Point was a center of fast wooden schooners in the early nineteenth century, and Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myers both worked there as caulkers (see Series G). Wood is still used for small craft and restorations.

Iron and steel

Iron hulls appeared in the early nineteenth century. Isambard Kingdom Brunel's SS Great Britain (1843) combined an iron hull and a screw propeller. Steel, cheaper after the Bessemer and open-hearth processes, replaced iron in the late nineteenth century. Hull plates were riveted by gangs of riveters until welding took over during and after World War II. Steel shipbuilding requires shipfitters, welders, pipefitters, electricians, painters and machinists.

Fiberglass

Glass-reinforced plastic (fiberglass) boats appeared in the late 1940s. A builder sprays gelcoat into a mold, then lays glass cloth or mat wetted with resin. When cured, the hull comes out of the mold, and the mold makes the next one. Low maintenance and repeatable production made recreational boats affordable. Composites technicians also use vacuum bagging, resin infusion, core materials and carbon fiber.

Health and safety

Composites work involves resins and solvents such as styrene; ventilation, respirators, gloves and skin protection are part of the job. Steel work involves hot work and confined spaces (Series H).

Programs

Fiberglass / Composites, Shipbuilding / Marine Fabrication, Welding, Tailoring / Upholstery (marine canvas).