Keel pig
In shipbuilding and boat building, the keel pig is a structural longitudinal structure that lies in the middle over the floor walls parallel to the keel and serves to reinforce the longitudinal stiffness of the hull and the connection of the ribs and floor walls to the keel or keel.
On sailing ships , the masts are often placed in a mast shoe on the keel pig.
In the case of steel ships , it is an inner support or a hollow box. In today's large-scale shipping, the pipe tunnel is located above the keel . In wooden ships, the keel is a wooden structure. It forms the internal counterpart to the keel. Small wooden sailing boats have no actual keels as a longitudinal structure. Here the wooden structure on which the mast stands is called the keel pig.
It is a nautical custom to send “ landlubbers ” (newcomers on board) to “ feed the keel pig” or “the bilge pig ”.
In rowing boats , the “keel pig” is the additional passenger who has to sit quite uncomfortably on the keel pig because there is neither a steering position nor a rowing position for him.
