Strake

A strake or stringer is part of the shell of the hull of a boat or ship which, in conjunction with the other strakes, keeps the sea out and the vessel afloat. It is a strip of planking in a wooden vessel or of plating in a metal one, running longitudinally along the vessel's side, bottom or the turn of the bilge, usually from one end of the vessel to the other. Stringers run horizontally along the ship's frame providing structural strength. On a longboat, one strake will typically be made up of numerous planks running end to end.