But in order that such a ship, which has, moreover, very
sloping sides, shall possess the necessary carrying capacity, she
must be broad; and her breadth is, in fact, about a third of her
length. Another point of importance was to make the sides as smooth
as possible, without projecting edges, while plane surfaces were as
much as possible avoided in the neighborhood of the most vulnerable
points, and the hull assumed a plump and rounded form. Bow, stern,
and keel--all were rounded off so that the ice should not be able to
get a grip of her anywhere. For this reason, too, the keel was sunk
in the planking, so that barely three inches protruded, and its edges
were rounded. The object was that "the whole craft should be able to
slip like an eel out of the embraces of the ice."

The hull was made pointed fore and aft, and somewhat resembles a
pilot-boat, minus the keel and the sharp garboard strakes. Both ends
were made specially strong. The stem consists of three stout oak beams,
one inside the other, forming an aggregate thickness of 4 feet (1.25
m.) of solid oak; inside the stem are fitted solid breasthooks of oak
and iron to bind the ship's sides together, and from these breasthooks
stays are placed against the pawl-bit. The bow is protected by an
iron stem, and across it are fitted transverse bars which run some
small distance backwards on either side, as is usual in sealers.

The stern is of a special and somewhat particular construction. On
either side of the rudder and propeller posts--which are sided 24
inches (65 cm.)--is fitted a stout oak counter-timber following
the curvature of the stern right up to the upper deck, and forming,
so to speak, a double stern-post. The planking is carried outside
these timbers, and the stern protected by heavy iron plates wrought
outside the planking.

Between these two counter-timbers there is a well for the screw,
and also one for the rudder, through which they can both be hoisted
up on deck. It is usual in sealers to have the screw arranged in this
way, so that it can easily be replaced by a spare screw should it be
broken by the ice. But such an arrangement is not usual in the case
of the rudder, and, while with our small crew, and with the help
of the capstan, we could hoist the rudder on deck in a few minutes
in case of any sudden ice-pressure or the like, I have known it take
sealers with a crew of over 60 men several hours, or even a whole day,
to ship a fresh rudder.