"Packet boats came in different sizes, but the most common size was 60-80 feet long by just over 14 feet wide. All featured the same basic accommodations: a multipurpose room which served as lounge, dining room, and sleeping room (with a curtain to separate the ladies and men), and a kitchen. The average charge for traveling on packet boats was 4 cents per mile, and included meals and sleeping accommodations. For those who couldn't afford a packet boat, line boats could take passengers at a charge of 2 cents per mile, and sometimes one cent, but accommodations were proportionally less comfortable and travel somewhat slower." -  Frank Sadowski (online October 2021)

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Hull: The frame or body of a ship, not including masts or rigging
Bow: front section of a ship
Stern; Rear part of a ship
Kee:  a. The principal structural member of a boat or ship, running along the center of the hull from bow to stern, to which the ribs are attached.
b. A projecting ridge or fin on the bottom of the hull of a boat or ship that improves directional control and is often weighted for added stability.

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