The Medieval Shipwright

Mundane shipwrights are educated men, able to read and write at least their vernacular language and, more than likely, Latin. They are highly skilled in designing boats and ships and understanding the qualities and properties of materials, and they possess the leadership qualities needed to lead a team of craftsmen and laborers for seasons at a time. The shipwright rarely builds the ship himself, but rather designs the vessel and leads the team of craftsmen who undertake the construction on his behalf.

A shipyard is a large area of land with direct access to a significant waterway, providing space for a range of craftsmen to ply their trade in the building, repair, and decommissioning of ships and boats. Larger yards have dedicated docks and enclosed buildings within which vessels can be worked on. But for the most part, shipyards tend to be a collection of workshops arranged around a series of slipways, allowing vessels to be launched into and/or pulled from the water. Shipyards are busy with carpenters shaping keels, planks, and strakes; blacksmiths sharpening tools and making nails and fittings; and laborers putting the parts together.

There are also likely to be specialist facilities for the making of rope and sails. Ropes are generally made in long buildings called ropewalks, though long stretches of open road are also used, where the hemp fibers are spun and wound together to form ropes of different lengths and weights. Sailmaking is another highly specialized trade and is usually carried out in sail lofts.