Strake

A strake is a course of the planking or plating of the hull of a vessel. In a wooden construction it is a strip of planking (or multiple planks combined into one) running longitudinally along the vessel's bottom and sides. In a metal ship it is a course of plating. A strake is a course of the planking or plating of the hull of a vessel. In a wooden construction it is a strip of planking (or multiple planks combined into one) running longitudinally along the vessel's bottom and sides. In a metal ship it is a course of plating. Strakes are fastened to the bow at its stem at the front of a ship and stern at its transom at its rear. In wooden boat and ship construction the strake immediately adjacent to either side of the keel is known as the garboard strake. The next two are the first broad and second broad. Working upward come the bottom strakes, lowers, bilge strakes, topside strakes, and uppers. The uppermost along the topsides is called the sheer strake. Strakes are joined to the stem by their hood ends. A rubbing strake was traditionally built in just below a carvel sheer strake. It was much less broad but thicker than other strakes so that it projected and took any rubbing against piers or other boats when the boat was in use. In clinker boats, the rubbing strake was applied to the outside of the sheer strake. Many current pleasure craft reflect this history in that they have a mechanically attached (and therefore replaceable) rub rail at the location formerly occupied by a rubbing strake, often doubling to cover the joint between a GRP hull and its innerliner.