Shell plating is the outer-most structure on the hull

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

 of a steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 or aluminum ship

Ship

Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

 or boat

Boat

A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...

. It is the structural element that renders the hull watertight.

Strakes

A strake

Strake

A strake 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...

 is the name given to each line of planking in a wooden vessel. In modern ship construction it refers to the longitudinal run of plating covering the hull, deck and bulkhead structure. Certain specific strakes are uniquely identified:

Keel : is a special strake of the Bottom plating extending from the centerplane outboard.

Bottom : the Bottom Shell plate strakes extend from the Keel to the Bilge.

Bilge : is the plating which transitions from the more-or-less horizontal Bottom Shell to the more-or-less vertical Side Shell and is generally curved. See also Chine (boating)

Chine (boating)

A chine in boating refers to a sharp angle in the hull, as compared to the rounded bottoms of most traditional boat hulls. The term hard chine indicates an angle with little rounding, where a soft chine would be more rounded, but still involve the meeting of distinct planes. Chine log...

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Side : is the plating which extends from the Bilge stake(s) to the Shear strake.

Shear : is a special strake of the Side plating. It is the strake that connects the Side Shell to the Strength Deck.

Stringer : is a special strake of the Strength Deck plating. It is the strake that connects the Strength Deck to the Side Shell.

Strength Deck : is a special deck. It is normally the uppermost continuous deck and forms the top flange of the hull girder. See Strength of ships

Strength of ships

The strength of ships is a topic of key interest to naval architects and shipbuilders. Ships which are built too strong are heavy, slow, and cost extra money to build and operate since they weigh more, whilst ships which are built too weakly suffer from minor hull damage and in some extreme cases...

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