NAVIGATION

Splendid illustrations of the hydrodynamics of hull shape these half blocks now provide decoration on the wall of many yacht clubs. Whether it was a steamer or an ocean going sailing vessel the hull alone concerned the buyer and the builder, and so the rigging was often left to a drawing and as both beams were exactly the same it was only necessary to make a model showing one side.
Some craftsmen specialised in building model yachts and half block models, which were complete in every structural detail. The half hull would be carved from a block of wood composed of individual planks glued together, each plank of the exact thickness to represent a yard or metre in the model. When varnished the half hull block might have alternate layers of wood from dark to light, as in this example, so that from stem to stern the waterlines and buttock lines could be clearly seen. Half block models generally remained in the possession of the shipyard and would subsequently help potential customers to choose the type of ship they required.