Afterdeck
In naval architecture an afterdeck or after deck, or sometimes the aftdeck, aft deck or a-deck, is the open deck area toward the stern or aft back part of a ship or boat. The afterdeck can be used for a number of different purposes. Not all ships have an afterdeck. In place of the afterdeck a ship may be built with a poop deck, that is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship. A poop deck usually is higher up than an afterdeck. A ship may have its superstructure or aftercastle located in the stern and thus not have an afterdeck. The stern and afterdeck of a ship are usually more smooth and stable than the bow (front) of the ship in motion. A taffrail is the handrail around the open afterdeck or poop deck. On wooden sailing ships like man-of-war or East Indiaman the taffrail is usually a hand carved wood rail and often highly decorated.[1] [2][3][4] [5]
Afterdeck uses
- Navy war ships may use the afterdeck to mount deck guns.
- Missile boats may have missiles launching on the afterdeck.
- Minelaying gear on Navy ship's afterdeck.
- Minesweeper gear on Navy ship's afterdeck.
- Depth charge launching on Navy ship's afterdeck.
- Torpedo tube for torpedo launching on Navy ship's afterdeck.
- Some Navy and private ships use the afterdeck as a helicopter deck for a heliport for helicopters.
- A sundeck for chairs, chaise longue and lounge chairs.
- Rear deck swimming pool with a sundeck.
- On fishing boats a place to lay fishing nets or big-game fishing chairs or trawler gear.
- Cable laying gear.
- Scuba diving deck.
- Amphibious vehicle launching
- Submersible launching
- Water skiing launching
- Samson post, a strong pillar-post for a towing cable or other support.
- Lifting crane or gantry crane.
- Ferry ramp for vehicles.
- Ancient Greece ships sometimes had shrines or altars on the afterdeck.[6]
Gallery
- HMNZS Canterbury with a large aftdeck for helicopters.
- HMNZS Canterbury's helicopter afterdeck.
- President Truman and members of his staff relaxing on the afterdeck of the yacht USS Williamsburg.
- After deck of USS Manchester.
- HO3S landing on after deck of USS Manchester.
- After deck of Abeille Bourbon.
- Sailors on the afterdeck of HTMS Nakha.
- Aftdeck pool on Golden Princess.
- Missile boat with missile launching on the after deck.
- After deck of a UK Rescue Lifeboat 17-31.
See also
References
- ^ Getty Images, Taffrail Pictures and Images
- ^ http://phrontistery.info, Nautical Terms
- ^ Yachting, Dec. 2006 issue, page 94
- ^ US Navy, LPD 17 Program Summary, Jan. 2017
- ^ Marine Technology, Vol. 18, No. 1, Jan. 1981, pp. 38-50 Motion Studies of a Vessel with Water on Deck by Jeff Dillingham
- ^ The Greek Age of Bronze Ships
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- Aftercastle
- Afterdeck
- Anchor
- Anchor windlass
- Apparent wind indicator
- Beakhead
- Bilge
- Bilgeboard
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- Boom brake
- Bow
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- Cable
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- Kelson
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- Port
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- Prow
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- Rib
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- Ship's wheel
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