A traditional planking technique used on wooden ship hulls where naturally tapered planks are laid side-by-side in alternating directions. The wide end (butt) of one plank is placed next to the narrow end (top) of the adjacent plank, allowing shipwrights to maintain a constant overall breadth without wasting timber.
Heard on the job
We planked the lower hull top and but to get the most out of the tapered oak stock we received.
Also heard as
- Top and butt