To cut a tow boat into?

[Cinder & Smoke]

I just don't know if I would like the idea of being on a boat that had been cut in two
and welded back together.

A number of the big (700 - 1,000 foot long) bulk freighters operating on the Great Lakes
were built "in pieces". Common practice was to construct the bow and stern sections as
seperate pieces, weld 'em together to make a super short, stubby boat;
then sail the short boat onto the Great Lakes.

Once on the Lakes, the short boat went to the shipyard that had the contract to build
the "center section" - the cargo holds. Then they cut apart the bow and stern sections, "slipped in" the cargo section, then welded all THREE pieces back into
one unified Jumbo Boat!