Keelson
Structural member in a boat or ship
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The keelson or kelson is a reinforcing structural member on top of the keel in the hull of a vessel.[1] 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.[2]
Look up keelson in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wooden vessels may feature both main keelsons and sister keelsons.[3]
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.