Transom Stern

1. keel (light peach) 2. skeg (dark purple) 3. deadwood (olive drab) 4. stern post (forest green) 5. filling chock (bright yellow) 6. filling transoms (pale yellow-green) 7. wing transom (turquoise) 8. helm port (orange) 9. counter timbers (pale violet) 10. margin (indigo) 11. horn timber (green) 12. stern timbers (apricot) 13. side-counter timbers (pale yellow) 14. quarter-timbers (red) 15. fashion timber (fuchsia) 16. cant frames (blue) 17. square body frames (uncolored)

in naval architecture, term transom has 2 meanings. first, transom can refer of individual beams run side-to-side or athwart hull @ point abaft fashion timber; second, transom can refer flat or curved surface panel of transom stern. in sense, transom stern product of use of series of transoms, , hence 2 terms have blended.

the stern of classical sailing ship housed captain s quarters , became increasingly large , elaborate between 15th , 18th centuries, in baroque era, when such wedding-cake-like structures became heavy crews threw decoration overboard rather burdened useless weight. until new form of stern appeared in 19th century, transom stern floating house—and required many timbers, walls, windows, , frames. stern frame provided foundational structure of transom stern, , composed of sternpost, wing transom, , fashion piece.

abaft fashion timber, transom stern composed of 2 different kinds of timbers:

transoms – these timbers extend across low parts of hull near rudder, , secured (notched and/or bolted) sternpost. transom located @ base of stern, , uppermost of main transoms, typically called wing transom; principal transom below , level lower deck called deck transom; between these 2 series of filling transoms. if stern had transoms above wing transom, no longer affixed sternpost. first of these might called counter transom; next window sill transom; above that, spar deck transom. larger vessel, more numerous , wider transoms required support stern.
stern timbers (also called stern frames) – these timbers mounted vertically in series; each timber typically rests or steps on wing transom , stretches out (aft) , upward. not reaching way taffrail called short stern timbers, while called long stern timbers. 2 outermost of these timbers, located @ corners of stern, called side-counter timbers or outer stern timbers. stern timbers collectively determine backward slope of square stern, called rake -- is, if stern timbers end producing final transom falls vertically water, considered transom no rake; if stern timbers produce stern degree of slope, such stern considered raked stern.

the flat surface of transom stern may begin either @ or above waterline of vessel. geometric line stretches wing transom archboard called counter; large vessel may have 2 such counters, called lower counter , second or upper counter. lower counter stretches directly above wing transom lower counter rail, , upper counter lower counter rail upper counter rail, under stern s lowest set of windows (which in naval parlance called lights ).