The correct answer is D) located next to and parallel to the keel. The garboard strake is the planking on a wooden vessel that is located directly adjacent to and runs parallel with the keel. It is considered the first or lowest full-length plank on the hull, connecting the keel to the rest of the hull planking. This positioning and relationship to the keel is what defines the garboard strake in vessel construction. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the location and function of the garboard strake. It is not another term for the bilge keel (A), the gunwale (B), or the rub rail (C); these are all separate structural components of a vessel.