Most ships are fitted with some form of bilge keel the prime function of which is to help damp the rolling motion of the vessel. Other relatively minor advantages of the bilge keel are protection for the bilge on grounding, and increased longitudinal strength at the bilge.
Bilge keels, particularly on steel vessels,
are "lightly welded" along a portion of the vessels length. This
allows the bilge keel to be deformed or detached in case of impact without
risking the vessels hull. Typically, short sections will be welded, with
gaps between. The bilge
keel will be attached to a backing strip - a strip of metal, which
prevents the bilge keel from propagating cracks into the hull when damaged.
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