Agripe is a simple form ofclamp used in building aclinker boat, for temporarily holding thestrake which is being fitted onto the one to which it is to be attached. The strake is relatively thin and wide, so the tool must have a long reach and requires only a small movement. This is achieved by taking two pieces of densetimber, typically oak, each of a length a little more than twice the widest width of the strake. Acoach bolt is fitted through the middle and adjusted so that the gripe will fit onto the land (the joint between the adjacent strakes) while admitting the point of a wedge between the free ends of the two parts of the gripe. The wedge is then tapped in so that the gripe grips the land, using the bolt as a fulcrum.[citation needed]
Some definitions describe the gripe as being another name for theforefoot of a boat.[1][2]
The name is pronounced with the "i" as along diphthong and is a form of the wordgrip.
The word "gripe" has also been used to describe apitchfork used to handlemanure.[3]
