Question 51

The Correct Answer is D **Explanation for Option D (Stealer plate):** The process described—reducing the number of plating strakes (runs of plating) as they approach the bow, where the hull narrows—is a common practice in shipbuilding to manage geometry and weight. When two adjoining strakes must be terminated and their combined width taken up by a single strake going forward, the plate used to join the tapered ends of the two strakes and form the start of the single forward strake is called a **stealer plate** (or sometimes simply a "stealer"). The stealer plate effectively "steals" the width of the two incoming strakes. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) Cover plate:** A cover plate is a general term for a plate used to cover an opening, reinforcement, or joint (e.g., covering a scarf joint, a hole, or the end of a beam). It does not specifically refer to the structural plate used to join two tapered hull strakes into one. * **B) Lap strake:** A lap strake refers to a method of planking or plating construction (clinker or lapstrake construction) where the edges of the planks or plates overlap each other. It describes the structural arrangement of the entire hull, not the specific single plate used to reduce the number of strakes. * **C) Joiner:** "Joiner" is a very general term. While a stealer plate is a type of joining plate, in shipbuilding, the term "joiner" typically refers to the trade or work related to the interior finish, furniture, and non-structural components (e.g., woodwork, cabins), or occasionally a simple connecting piece, but not the specific hull plate described.