stealer
The endmost plank of a strake which stops short of the stem or stern.
stealer: the plank that fills the gap at bow or stern
A stealer is a short strake plank fitted at the extreme end of a ship's hull, where the full-length planks of the strake cannot reach the stem or sternpost. When hull planking curves sharply toward the bow or stern, the angle becomes too acute for a standard plank to be positioned and fastened properly. The stealer bridges this geometric impossibility, running from where the last full plank ends to the stem or stern timber itself.
The term appears in wooden shipbuilding and persists in modern composite construction where similar geometry applies. A stealer is narrower and shorter than the planks it follows in the same strake; it tapers at one end and is cut to fit the available space precisely. The name derives from the sense of the plank "stealing" coverage in a tight space where geometric constraints prevent conventional planking sequences.
Structural role and fastening
Stealers are not decorative or incidental. They complete the hull envelope and must be fastened as securely as any other plank, with fastenings driven through into the stem or sternpost. The planking must overlap or butt correctly with adjacent stealers and the final full plank of the strake. Poor fitting or fastening at the stealer creates a weak point in the hull skin, potentially leading to working and flexing under stress.
Different strakes may require stealers at different positions along the hull length. The garboard strake, which runs next to the keel, typically requires stealers at both ends. Higher strakes may need them at only one end, depending on the hull form. On a heavily curved bow or counter stern, multiple stealers may be needed across the breadth of a single strake.
Stealers are planned during lofting, the process of drawing the hull shape at full size. The loftsman determines where each full plank terminates and positions stealers to fill the gaps logically and with minimal waste. This planning is critical because a poorly positioned stealer sequence can throw off the rhythm of planking and create awkward geometry downstream.