Contents
The ship pine grows for a century before it can be used for shipbuilding. The wood of this tree is durable and resinous. This special strength is due to the fact that ship pines are hardened by harsh climatic conditions of growth: their natural habitat is the west and northeast of North America.
What pines are called ship
Pine trees that meet the requirements for height and structure are considered shipable: for example, the height of the trunk should be about 40 m, and the diameter should be at least 0,4 m. More often than other necessary characteristics, the red, yellow and white types of these coniferous trees correspond to the necessary characteristics.
Red pine grows on elevated and dry stony soils of sandy and loamy types, has a fine-layer resinous wood, which has a high density. The tree trunk reaches 37 m in height and 1,5 m in diameter. The color of the core is usually red or yellow-red, the bark is red-brown, with scaly plates and furrows, the crown has a round shape.
The wood of yellow, or Oregon, pine is strong, while being light and resilient, and also has a special resistance to fire. The height of the yellow ship pine can reach 40 – 80 m; size in trunk diameter – from 0,8 to 1,2 m, branches – up to 2 cm. The bark has a yellow or red-brown hue. Young branches are orange-brown in color, but gradually darken. The trunk is covered with cracks and scaly plates. The shape of the crown is round or conical, small branches grow spreading up or down.
White ship pine is characterized by wood of lower density and layering, however, at the same time, the material lends itself well to processing, is impregnated with high quality, and does not warp. The trunk is straight, grows up to 30 – 70 m in height and from 1 to 2 m in diameter. On the cut, the kernel is pale yellow, the color of the bark is light gray. Gradually, the tree darkens, becomes covered with cracks and plates that give a purple hue. The white variety of pine grows in swampy lowlands on clay soil.
Features of ship pines
Red, yellow and white pine species are most in demand in shipbuilding due to the hardening of wood in cold weather conditions: as a result, the material reaches the required high quality.
So, good specimens of ship pines have the following characteristics:
- tree height -40 m or more, diameter – 0,5 m or more;
- straight trunk;
- lack of knots and branches at the base of the tree;
- high resinousness;
- light, resilient and durable wood.
It takes at least 80 years for a tree to grow with these properties. Particularly valuable are specimens over 100 years old.
Ship pines are protected from decay by a large amount of resin: thanks to their resinousness and lightness, they are also perfectly fused by the riverbed. This greatly facilitates transportation to the construction site.
The wood from the north side of the pines is denser in structure and has thinner layers, as it receives less heat and sunlight. This makes it stronger and allows it to be used as a material for the most important details. Ship pine has an original natural pattern, beautiful texture, smooth wood fibers: this material is considered ideal for shipbuilding.
Where do ship pines grow in Our Country
Pine trees suitable for shipbuilding grow in harsh climates, as well as in arid and mountainous regions. In areas with mild climatic conditions, for example, in the Crimea, they are less common.
So, in Our Country, ship pines grow in the forests of the taiga, in the middle lane, in the North Caucasus. There are reserves in which they are protected from cutting down. There is a protected area with ship pines, for example, on the border of the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk region. These lands were once described by M. Prishvin in the story “Ship thicket”. In 2015, a scientific expedition set off to this region. The researchers found pine forests, among which there are trees up to 300 years old.
You can learn more about the expedition to the ship thickets of the Arkhangelsk region from the video:
The natural monument “Mast Forest” in the Voronezh region is known, where the first ship timber in Our Country was planted. Here are the oldest pine species from Usmansky Bor. The average height of the stands is 36 m, and the diameter is about 0,4 m. In 2013, Mastovy Bor was included in the category of specially protected natural objects.
Even Peter I gave pine groves the status of protected areas, trees half a meter wide in the cut were especially protected. Realizing that ship trees take an extremely long time to grow, he ordered the laying of a mast, or ship timber, for the construction of a fleet in the future.
Peter I chose the Vyborg district (now the Vyborg district), namely, the area near the river. Lindulovki. There he founded a grove, planting the first seeds, and after the death of the ruler, Ferdinand Fokel was engaged in the propagation of ship forests. In order to limit the free felling of forests and thus prevent their destruction, the tsar took care of state control with huge fines for illegally cut down trees. Landings in this area are constantly continuing. In 1976, the Lindulovskaya Grove botanical reserve was founded here.
The use of pines in shipbuilding
Before there was metal, wood served as the main material in shipbuilding. The name “mast” pine also deserved the fact that it was ideal for making a mast for a sailboat: for this, a tall, slender tree with a diameter of half a meter was used, its wood is especially strong in the center of the trunk, at the core.
The most resistant pine wood was also used to make the body: red pine was primarily suitable for this. Now, sheathing is made from it for both internal and external decks. It is also suitable for a crate – a frame that is used to fasten the flooring and sew up the sites.
The main use of yellow ship pine is the creation of spars, that is, the bars that support the sails. White pine, as the least durable, is used as a material for making templates, temporary scaffolding, and various improvised means. Shipbuilders used not only wood, but also resin: parts, ropes and sails were impregnated with it.
In modern shipbuilding, in addition to decking, wood is also used for ship plating and interior decoration.
Conclusion
Ship pines got this name due to the special characteristics that allow them to be used in shipbuilding. Today, the use of wood in this area is limited, but earlier pine was one of the main valuable building materials.