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Shipbuilding: Frame Diagram (p. 138b)
Michael's manuscript contains some of the earliest known ship-design drawings, marking an early stage in the transference of design from the shipyard to the drawing office. Most of a galley's frames were shaped by proportion, or "moulded." The geometry, however, did not extend all the way to the bow and stern which were shaped by hand, using thin wooden battens, or ribbands, as guides. This drawing illustrates an apparatus placed midway between the last moulded frame and the bow. A ribband (maistra) was bent around it on each side to determine the proper curvature of the hull at this point.
See enlargement:
+ Ihesus + la maistra dala paraschuxula cha ‘l poselexe dala paraschuxula, quarta una e meza de pie. Mesurando dal'oro di su dala maistra dala paraschuxulla, e al'oro di su dela maistra de mezo, die ‘ser pie 3 men 1/3, mesurando per la via di furchamy. Mesurando dal'oro di su dala maistra de mezo e al'oro di su dela maistra de sovra, die ‘ser pie 5 1/2, mesurando per la via di furchami. Mesurando per mezo la chorba de mezo, xe più baso l'oro di su dala mais- tra dala paraschuxulla cha ‘l posellexe dala paraschosola palmo 1, e chi vedirì le maistre sì de pope chome de proda. Quista de soto se die metter sul poselexe del choltro da proda.
+ Jesus + the edge of the ribband at the stringer to the futtock scarph is quarter and half a foot. Measuring from the upper edge of the bilge stringer ribband to the upper edge of the middle ribband should be 3 feet minus 1/3, measuring by way of the futtocks. Measuring from the upper edge of the middle ribband to the upper edge of the upper ribband above should be 5 1/2 feet, measuring by way of futtocks. Measuring in front of the midship frame, the upper edge of the bilge stringer ribband is lower than bilge stringer mark 1 palm. And here you will see the ribbands for the stern and also for the stem. This below should be placed on the stem-keel mark at the bow: