Clinker construction made rapid mobilization possible

Builders began with the keel and worked outward, overlapping shaped planks so the shell supplied the hull's primary strength. Frames and thwarts were added afterward as reinforcement rather than forming the first load-bearing skeleton. The method concentrated demanding judgment in a smaller number of masters who controlled shape and tolerances. It also allowed competent carpenters and the many laborers already skilled with axes to perform much of the work, making clinker construction especially useful for rapid mobilization.