Everything You Need to Know About Different Types of Ship Keels A ship's keel is similar to a human's spinal cord. Just like our spine helps our backbone to stay upright and supports our body, the keel works as the backbone of the ship. This component runs longitudinally along the bottom plate's centerline surrounding which the ship's hull is built. Every other component of the ship is connected either directly or indirectly to this structural member of the ship. So, a ship owner or a buyer needs to know about the ship's keel. Should you be someone who lives in Norway, and is planning to buy a good ship for sale in Norway, this blog can help you to make the best decision.
Flat Keel Flat Keel is a plate that the frames, which are located around the ship support. It is solid and comparatively thicker than the other plates. It must have a uniform thickness for 3/5th length. Towards the end, this plate may gradually decrease in thickness, which is common in the majority of vessels today. This keel may be fitted with the single or double bottom hull. Duct Keel The ships with double bottom hulls are provided with duct keels and these keels comprises of solid plates that are welded in the shape of a box. This forms an internal watertight passage that runs parallel to the ship's length, which is from the collision bulkhead to the bulkhead of the forward engine room. This keel is created by two longitudinal girders, that must be1.83m apart from each other. This distance should not be increased as the girders should stay supported by the keel blocs during docking. The brackets generally stay on the keel and between the girders of the inner bottom plating. Some advantages of duct keels.