Editing Newport Ship (section)

== Condition, dimensions and structure ==
The excellent condition of the ship's timbers may possibly be due to the low oxygen level in the mud of the River Usk which has inhibited the presence of wood-boring creatures. Some time during its berth the port (left) side of the ship was cut down about {{convert|9|ft|m|abbr=off}} above the keel, but fortuitously this has preserved the correct shape of the hull. The starboard (right) side, which collapsed onto the river mud long ago, together with the ship's frames, has been preserved to almost its full height, although some planking has been distorted by the collapse.

The ship's dimensions have now been estimated at around {{convert|116|ft|m|abbr=off}} in length and around {{convert|27|ft|m|abbr=off}} in width. It had an estimated carrying capacity of 161 '[[Tons burthen|tons burden]]'. That was a contemporary measure of ship size, based on the number of tuns (a size of barrel) of wine a ship could carry. In the 1460s customs accounts of nearby Bristol, vessels of 150+ tons were typically called 'navis' (great ship) and used primarily for the long-distance voyages to southern Europe, particularly Lisbon.{{sfn|Jones|2018a}}

The vessel was [[clinker built]] with each plank overlapping the one below, the lower plank always being on the inside of the one above. The planks of the outer hull were positioned first and, on the Newport Ship, are secured to each other with iron nails driven through the overlap from the outside and then fitted with iron rove plates. The end of each nail was then hammered flat against the rove to produce a tight seal. Gaps along the overlap were secured by [[caulking]] with [[tar]] and animal hair. Hair from horse, cow, sheep and goat has all been identified in the Newport ship. The frames (ribs) of the ship were then fitted inside the hull and secured to the planks. Each framing piece was secured to the [[keel]] (spine) of the ship by having its keel cutout placed over the keel and held by precision of fit. Nails and trenails have not been used in this ship to secure frames to keel. The keel is made of [[beech]], but the rest of the ship is made of [[oak]], although no reason for this has yet been suggested. One possible explanation is a simple shortage of oak compared with beech at the time of construction. The hull planking is radially split oak which has been finished with an [[axe]] or [[adze]]. The keel and frames are also finished with an axe or adze. This contrasts with the stringers, hatch covers, ceiling and deck planks, which were all sawn.{{sfn|Nayling|Jones|2014}}

Inside the frames are [[longeron|stringers]]: longitudinal structural components. Seven runs of stringers were found on the more-preserved starboard side. Between the stringers, the inside of the hull was lined with ceiling planks{{snd}}these are thinner than the stringers and, together with the stringers, serve to stop cargo or ballast from coming into contact with the inside of the external planking of the hull.{{efn|The ceiling planks were, on average, 25mm thick whilst the stringers varied from 48 to 97mm in thickness. The ceiling planks were fastened to the frames with small iron nails, whilst the stringers were connected to the frames with two oak [[trenail|treenails]] of about 30mm diameter at each intersection.{{sfn|Nayling|Jones|2014}}}} Both the stringers and ceiling planks were made of sawn oak, in contrast to the radially split hull planks and the hewn framing. The highest surviving stringer shows evidence of supporting the first deck.{{sfn|Nayling|Jones|2014}}

Cleaning of the timbers has led to the discovery, on the planking of the outer hull, of a series of marks deliberately scribed into the timbers. These appear to be either individual shipwrights' marks or instructions for the positioning of planks or fastenings. The conservation team is hoping that a pattern will emerge as the recording process continues. During mid 2007, the cleaning of barrel-top fragments revealed [[Merchant's mark|merchant marks]]. Some of these may resemble known marks of merchants from the city of [[Bristol]], but this is not proof that they originated there.