The vertical continuation of the keel at the front of a boat
A model of the French ship Soleil Royal held at the Musée National de la Marine de Paris. The most forward and lowest curved part of the ship is the stem (not normally the extended part beyond the hull).The bow of the oil and chemical tankerBro Elizabeth in dry dock in Brest, France. This ship does not have a stem.
The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow[1] and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively.
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