Deck Beam
Description
This half deck beam would have been used when the full deck width could not be spanned because of the presence of a hatchway. Deck beams were inserted across the ribs of a ship to provide support for the decks, and help the hull from becoming misshapen under the pressure of the water. A 74-gun ship, such as the Invincible, would have had (from the bottom up) an orlop deck, two gun decks, a quarterdeck, forecastle and poop deck. The beams on the upper decks were smaller than those of the lower decks to maintain a low centre of gravity and keep the ship stable. During the excavations on the wreck of the Invincible some of the ships loose timbers were recovered, such as this oak deck half beam. The ship itself was surveyed, but remains in situ, covered by mud and sand.
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Object Detail
Width: 230mm
Length: 900mm
Width: 100mm
Depth: 122mm (4 13/16")
Weight: 1/16cwt (3.18kg)