about sixteen to twenty
We then carried off such part of the deck as we required , with some of the timbers and planks . As we could not get at the keel , we were obliged to content ourselves with the mainmast , to serve as a keel for our new vessel . We laid her down close to the beach just above high-water mark , with a carriage-sledge under her , so as to be able to launch her over the ice . Our intention was to make her a vessel of about sixteen to twenty tons , which was as large as our materials would allow , and to rig her as a schooner for the same reason , and because she would thus be more easily handled . After much discussion as to the ways and means , we laid down the keel and set up the stem and stern . We next commenced on the ribs , which puzzled us much more to shape them , so as to make the sides of the form we wished , and one side to correspond with the other . However , there is an old saying , that `` Where there 's a will there 's a way ; '' and though not always true , it was so in our case , though we expended six times as much labour and time as we should have done had there been a good carpenter among us to superintend our work .