West Ashley in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Ship Shaping
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
1. Ship Shaping Marker
This ship skeleton depicts the earliest stage of shipbuilding – hull construction. It starts with the ship’s backbone, or keel, and then the stern, ribs, and sternpost are attached.
This skeleton is built to the same scale as the fully finished Adventure. If you go below deck on the Adventure, you’ll see its ribs. You cannot, however, see its keel since it’s underwater on the bottom of the ship.
Boat building was big business in Charles Towne because ships were vital for trade and communication. A Spanish spy even reported seeing colonists building and repairing ships here in 1672.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1672.
Location. 32° 48.054′ N, 79° 58.998′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in West Ashley. Marker can be reached from Old Town Plantation Road. Marker is located on the History Trail at Charles Towne Landing. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston SC 29407, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Seized! (here, next to this marker); Harnessing the Wind (here, next to this marker); The Adventure, Trading Ketch (here, next
this page online
More about this marker. Two pictures of ships under construction appear at the bottom of the marker. One has a caption of “This 17th-century painting shows shipwrights applying planking to a completed hull.” The second includes the caption “In this 1594 image, craftsmen have constructed a ship’s backbone and begun to apply the frames.”
Pictures of Shipwright Tools appear on the right side of the marker. These include an axe, caulking mallet, pitch ladle, auger, jerry iron, reeming iron, and adez.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
2. Ship Shaping Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
3. Marker at Charles Towne Landing
The ship skeleton can be seen behind the marker.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
4. Trading Ketch Adventure
This fully constructed ship is located within sight of the marker. It is the same size as the ship skeleton.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
5. Below Decks on the Adventure
The ribs of the Adventure can be seen on the right.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 376 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 21, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
