The planks are prepared and many craftsmen work to prepare the 800 plus vessels needed to carry the invasion fleet across the channel. This shipbuilding takes place at Dives-sur-Mer near the town of Caen. Dives-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie. The first man astride the plank is using a smoothing axe. The man in the upper boat is using a breast auger to remove shavings from the hole being drilled. The men in the lower boat are using side axes. In this scene we see two bearded shipwrights. The beards and moustaches appearing throughout the tapestry are usually an identifying trait of the English.