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WALES
WALES, (preceintes, Fr.) an assemblage of strong planks extending along a ship's side, throughout her whole length, at different heighths, and serving to reinforce the decks, and form the curves by which the vessel appears light and graceful on the water.As the wales are framed of planks broader and thicker than the rest, they resemble ranges of hoops encircling the sides and bows. They are usually distinguished into the main-wale and the channel-wale; the breadth and thickness of which are expressed by Q and R in the MIDSHIP-FRAME, plate VII. and their length is exhibited in the ELEVATION, plate I. where L Q Z is the main-wale, and D R X the channel-wale, parallel to the former.
The situation of the wales, being ascertained by no invariable rule, is generally submitted to the fancy and judgment of the builder. The position of the gun-ports and scuppers ought, however, to be particularly considered on this occasion, that the wales may not be wounded by too many breaches.
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© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 311, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/1461.html