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Glossary : F

• Fabrication - To process hull materials in the ships prior to assembly or erection. In hull work, fabrication consists of shearing, shaping, scarfing, rabbeting, and beveling.

• Face plate - Generally a narrow stiffening plate fitted along the edge of web frames, stringers, etc., to form the flange of the member.

• Fair - To smooth or fair up a ship's lines; eliminating irregularities; also to assemble the parts of a ship so that they will be fair; that is without kinks, bumps , or waves.

• Fairlead or fairleader - A fitting or device used to preserve or to change the direction of a rope so that it will be delivered on a straight lead to a sheave or drum.

• Fairwater - A term applied to plating fitted around the ends of shaft tubes and strut barrels, and shaped to streamline the parts, thus eliminating abrupt changes in the water flow. Also applied to any casting or plating fitted to the hull for the purpose of preserving a smooth flow of water.

• Fall - The rope used with blocks to make up a tackle. The end secured to the block is called the standing part; the opposite end, the hauling part.

• Fantail - The overhanging stern section of ships with round or elliptical after endings to uppermost decks and which extend well abaft the after perpendicular. Also called counter. At times, a synonym for stern.

• Fashion plate - A rounded transition plate at the end of a bulwark or superstructure.

• Fathom - A measure of length, equivalent to 6 linear feet, used for depths of water and lengths of anchor chain.

• Fathometer - A device used to measure the depth of water, by timing the travel of a sound wave from the ship to the ocean bottom and return.

• Faying surface - The overlapping faces between two adjoining parts.

• Fender - The term applied to devices built into or hung over the sides of a vessel to prevent the shell plating from rubbing or chafing against other ships or piers; a permanent hardwood or steel structure which runs fore and aft on the outside above the waterline and is firmly secured to the hull; wood spars, bundles of rope automobile tyres, woven cane or covered cork hung over the sides by line when permanent fenders are not fitted.

• Fidley - the top of the engine and boiler room; Casings on the weather deck; a partially raised deck over the engine and boiler casings, usually around the smokestack.

• Fillet weld - A weld joining two structural members that come together at, or close to, a right angle.

• Fish head - A self locking plate clamp, used on cranes to lift plate.

• Fixed light - A circular non-opening window with glass in the side of a ship, door, skylight cover, etc.

• Flange - The part of a plate or shape bent at right angles to the main part; to bend over to form an angle.

• Flare - The spreading out of the hull form from the central vertical plane, with increasing rapidity as it rises from the waterline to the rail