docking-keel

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In ship-building, one of a pair of exterior side keels secured under the bottom of a large armored warship, usually about half-way between the main keel and the turn of the bilge, to support the ship when in dry-dock. The lower surface of each of the docking-keels is parallel to that of the main keel and of about the same width, to give good bearing surface on the blocks in the bottom of the dock on which the ship is landed.