It was steered using a tiller connected to a rudder attached to the sternpost. The stempost is broader and lower than the sternpost. The apron and the inner sternpost were strengthening timbers. It has carved figurehead and ornamented sternpost. The height of stempost and sternpost is 1.2 m. The straight sternpost and hull shape make it easier to build. This was achieved with a flexible coupling and an elongated aperture in the ship's sternpost. The crew set to work repairing the damaged mast, sternpost, rudder, and many leaks. The divers recovered the stern end of the keel and a portion of the sternpost. In general they had no keel, stempost, or sternpost. The Tahiti ketch is characterized by a straight sternpost, less draught and its small rig. A "patent stern" is framed above the sternpost to widen the rear deck area. At the stem and, in a double-ended boat, the sternpost, geralds are formed. The following morning the sternpost was the only part of the vessel still visible. The sternpost may either be completely vertical or may be tilted or "raked" slightly aft.