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Now that the planking has been completed on the foredeck, The Golden Hinde’s shipwright team has been busy caulking.

The movement of the ship at sea can cause planks to shift backwards and forwards so they need to be locked in place. Caulking involves locking planks together using oakum - hemp soaked in Stockholm Tar which is made from pine resin.  The tar stops the hemp rotting and keeps it pliable.

The oakum is looped into the seams of the planks and then driven in with a making iron.  Once the oakum is ‘made’ into the seams, it is made firm with a hardening iron. 

When the caulking has been finished, the deck will be waterproofed by paying the seams with bitumen.  

Rolling oakum

Teasing oakum and caulking in the background

Caulking the deck