A physical notch or scribed line on a wooden mould or template used in traditional shipbuilding. It indicates the exact station or height where the bevelling of a frame changes, or where specific ribbands and structural timbers must cross. Shipwrights use these marks to transfer the lofted lines accurately to the raw timber before cutting.
Heard on the job
Transfer the surmark from the mould to the futtock before you start swinging the adze.
Insider tip
Surmarks are critical for ensuring that the complex, three-dimensional curves of the hull planking lay perfectly flat against the frames.
Also heard as
- sirmark