The Ida Corning possesses two mast steps and accompanying chain plates on the hull for a foremast and a mizzen . There is no indication of a main mast step or its associated chain plates. This is significant, as it indicates that the vessel was two- masted with a Grand Haven style rig, typical of purpose-built schooner-barges or barge conversions in the later part of the nineteenth century. This rig provided stability and supplemental power, but it was not suitable for vessels sailing under their own power.

Although the centerboard is missing, it was originally 26 feet in length, as evidenced by the centerboard trunk, which is still intact. It is not braced from the sides of the vessel as it would be if the hold were 13 feet or deeper. The centerboard is offset to the vessel's port side and does not pass directly through the keel as does the Oak Leaf's centerboard. This is indeed unusual, as "through the keel" centerboards were the norm after 1856, and the Ida Corning was built in 1881.

Internally, the Ida Corning is more heavily constructed than the former schooner Oak Leaf, located beside her, bearing testimony to the Ida Corning's original construction as a schooner-barge . The vessel's framing comprises double frame sets placed on 20-inch centers. Futtocks are butt scarfed and the keelson and single rider keelson are diagonal lock scarfed and fastened with one-inch iron drift pins.

The vessel's bilge ceiling is fastened with countersunk nails while the rest of the vessel is fastened with nails over compression washers (roves). The smooth hold floor created by the countersunk nails would facilitate unloading of bulk cargoes with square-nosed shovels. As is common with bulk carriers of this time period, the four-inch ceiling planks are twice as thick as the outer hull planking. This indicates that the hold was bearing very heavy service and the cargo itself, stone in this case, wore heavily on the inner hull.

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