Ship pine is an interesting coniferous species that was previously actively used in shipbuilding. Such plants differ from other pines in appearance, structure and degree of wood strength. The crop often grows in harsh climates, which directly affects its quality characteristics. At the same time, several types of pine trees can be used in shipbuilding.
Description of appearance
Pines that have unique characteristics are called ship pines. By 80-100 years they grow up to 40 meters and have a straight trunk. Its diameter is 50 centimeters.At the same time, the absence of knots is considered a distinctive feature of the culture. The unique properties of plants do not end there.
Properties
Ship pines are characterized by soft needles that form in bunches. Each of them forms 2-5 needles. Seeds in the form of nuts ripen in the cones. The length of the fruit reaches 12 centimeters.
The following features are characteristic of ship pines:
- Strong wood that has certain physical and mechanical properties.
- Height is at least 40 meters. Pines reach this size by 100 years.
- Smooth and uniform trunk with a diameter of more than 50 centimeters. There are no knots in its structure.
- Resin content is above average.
- Light wood.
- Original pattern in the wood structure. The fibers themselves may have a yellow or rich red tint.
Such crops usually do not grow singly, but in favorable climate conditions form entire groves. They develop best in sandy, swampy or peaty soil, which does not contain natural humus.
Where does this name come from?
Ship pine is often called mast pine. This means that the tree has unique natural features. This makes it an excellent material for building ships. In addition to planks, masts for sailboats are made from wood kernels. The fact is that the core is considered the strongest part of the culture. The strongest parts of the wood are used to make frames and sheathing.
Thanks to the high resin content, it is possible to avoid rotting processes and prevent pest attacks. Due to its low weight, it is possible to facilitate the transportation process. The absence of knots makes it possible to cut the trunk into long boards of different sizes.
Where are they used?
Before the advent of metal, wood served as the main material in shipbuilding. In this case, shipbuilders used different fragments of trunks. Ships were often built in accordance with various signs. Important elements were made from a fragment of a trunk that faced north. This made it possible to obtain structural elements of high strength. It was believed that from the north side the tree received a minimal amount of sun and heat. As a result, such wood is fine-grained and has a high degree of density.
The most resistant wood was also used to make the body. Red varieties were especially well suited for this purpose. Currently, they are used for lining interior and exterior decks. This material is also excellent for sheathing. It is a frame that is used to fix the flooring and cover areas.
Pine, which has no lower branches, has the smoothest wood fibers. Thanks to the height of the tree and smooth trunks without defects, it is possible to obtain keels and long boards from logs.
In ancient times, shipbuilders used not only pine wood, but also resin.They used this substance to impregnate sails and ropes, and also seal grooves. As a result, it was possible to obtain durable ships that had durable equipment. Many ships for the fleet of the Russian Empire were made from tall and slender pines.
Varieties
For the manufacture of ships, 3 types of mast pines are used - yellow, red, or ore, and white, or myand. Yellow varieties reach a height of 50-70 meters and have light and durable wood. It is quite strong and elastic. The spar elements are made from this material.
Red pine, which is often found in northern Russia, is used to make wood siding. It is also used for decorating the interior of sea vessels and constructing deck flooring. The material is used as upholstery on the inside of sides, cabin panels and bilge compartments.
White pines prefer swampy and flooded areas. They are used for temporary work. This material should be used in cases where high strength and durability are not needed. This type of wood is suitable for assembling temporary scaffolding, stands, templates and other parts.
Why are these trees protected?
Ship pines are protected by law. This practice dates back to the time of Peter I. Then they adopted decrees that imposed a ban on cutting down pine forests. Reserved crops included all trees 12 vershoks in height. There were significant fines for breaking the law.
The fact is that it takes many years to restore the population of such crops, so to maintain forest resources it is necessary to create protected sites. Unauthorized cutting down of mast trees is punishable by a large fine.Sometimes imprisonment for up to 5 years is even possible.
To preserve the population of ship pines, special reserves were created. In particular, such formations exist on the border between the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk region. There, researchers were able to discover groves with trees over 300 years old. In the Voronezh region there is a natural monument called “Mast Forest”. It was opened in 1998.
Ship pines are quite interesting plants that have unique characteristics. Thanks to this, this type of tree can be used in the shipbuilding industry. However, today the use of such wood is limited. However, pine was previously an important building material.
