Poop Deck - Wikipedia

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Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Deck over a cabin at the rear of a ship

In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.[1]

The name originates from the French word for stern, poupe, from Latin puppis. Thus the poop deck is technically a stern deck, which in sailing ships was usually elevated as the roof of the stern or "after" cabin, also known as the "poop cabin" (or simply the poop).[2] On sailing ships, the helmsman would steer the craft from the quarterdeck, immediately in front of the poop deck. At the stern, the poop deck provides an elevated position ideal for observation.[3] While the main purpose of the poop is adding buoyancy to the aft,[citation needed] on a sailing ship the cabin was also used as an accommodation for the shipmaster and officers.[2] On modern, motorized warships, the ship functions which were once carried out on the poop deck have been moved to the bridge, usually located in a superstructure.

See also

• Common names for decks
• Taffrail, the handrail around the poop deck
• Quarter gallery, a projecting area at the stern
• Puppis, a constellation

References

1. ^ Keegan, John (1989). The Price of Admiralty. New York: Viking. p. 279. ISBN 0-670-81416-4.
2. ^ a b IMD 1961.
3. ^ "Poop Deck". HMS Victory. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2013. Located at the stern, this short deck takes its name from the Latin word puppis – which means after deck or rear. Guns were rarely carried on this deck. It was mainly used as a viewpoint and signalling platform. The poop deck also gave protection to the men at the wheel and provided a roof for the captain's cabin. The ropes controlling the yards (spars) and sails of the main and mizzen masts were operated from the poop deck.

Sources

• Kerchove, René de baron (1961). International Maritime Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Useful Maritime Terms and Phrases, Together with Equivalents in French and German (2nd ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 598. OCLC 9324405.

v t e Parts of a sailing ship

Aftercastle Afterdeck Anchor Anchor windlass Apparent wind indicator Beakhead Bilge Bilgeboard Bitts Bollard Boom brake Bow or prow Bowsprit Cable Capstan Cathead Carpenter's walk Centreboard Chains Cockpit Companionway Crow's nest Daggerboard Deck Figurehead Floor timber Forecastle Frame Gangway Gunwale Head Hold Hull Jackline Jibboom Keel Canting Kelson Leeboard Mast Orlop deck Outrigger Poop deck Port Porthole Propeller Quarter gallery Quarterdeck Rib Rudder Sail plan Ship's wheel Skeg Stem Starboard Stern or poop Sternpost Strake Taffrail Tiller Top Transom Whipstaff Winch

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