Keelson
Structural member in a boat or ship
title: "Keelson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nautical-terminology", "shipbuilding"] description: "Structural member in a boat or ship" topic_path: "general/nautical-terminology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keelson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Structural member in a boat or ship ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Boat_parts.jpg" caption="Kelson marked with 17"] ::
The keelson or kelson is a reinforcing structural member on top of the keel in the hull of a vessel. Originally used on wooden ships, in modern usage a keelson is any structural member used to strengthen the hull or to support any heavy weight.
In part V of "Song of Myself", American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) uses the phrase: "And that a kelson of the creation is love" to imply that love is akin to a keelson, or backbone, that supports humanity.
Citations
References
References
- "keelson". [[Dictionary.com]].
- Cutler and Cutler, p 126
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