A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull^[1] of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'lid' of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. Vessels often have more than one level both within the hull and in the superstructure above the primary deck which are similar to the floors of a multi-story building, and which are also referred to as decks, as are specific compartments and decks built over specific areas of the superstructure. (Decks for some purposes have specific names; see below.) A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... Italian ship-rigged vessel Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ...

The deck of the Falls of Clyde is iron; a center strip is planked with wood as a sort of walkway. As is typical for a late 19th-c. vessel, several deckhouses may be seen.

Photo of deck of the Falls of Clyde, taken March 2002 by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Photo of deck of the Falls of Clyde, taken March 2002 by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Falls of Clyde is the only surviving iron-hulled, four-masted full rigged ship, and the only surviving sail-driven oil tanker, in the world. ...

Discussion

The purpose of the primary deck is structural, and only secondarily to provide weather-tightness, and to support people and equipment. The deck serves as the lid to the complex box girder which is the hull. It resists tension, compression, and racking forces. The deck's scantling is usually the same as the topsides, or might be heavier if the deck is expected to carry heavier loads (for example a container ship). The deck will be reinforced around deck fittings such as the capstan, cleats, or bollards. Scantling, measurement of prescribed size, dimensions, particularly used of timber and stone and also of vessels. ... Container ship Rita being loaded at Copenhagen; note crew standing on deck, and stacks of containers on shore. ... Nautical capstan A capstan is a rotating machine used to control or apply force to another element, usually linear. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... A bollard blocking a path at Princeton University. ...

On ships with more than one level, deck refers to the level itself. The actual floor surface is called the sole, while the term floor refers to a structural member tying the ships frames or ribs together over the keel. In modern ships, the interior decks are usually numbered from the primary deck, which is #1, downward and upward. So the first deck below the primary deck will be #2, and the first above the primary deck will be #A2 or #S2 (for "Above" or "Superstructure"). However, ships may also call decks by common names, or (especially on cruise ships) may invent fanciful and romantic names for a specific deck or area of that specific ship, such as the Lido deck of the Princess Lines' Love Boat. Look up Sole in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Pacific Sky sails under Sydney Harbour Bridge A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ships amenities are considered an essential part of the experience. ...

Equipment mounted on deck, such as the ship's wheel, binnacle, fife rails, and so forth, may be collectively referred to as deck furniture. Weather decks in western designs evolved from having structures fore and aft (forecastles and cabins) to mostly clear, then in the 19th century pilothouses and deckhouses began to appear, eventually developing into the superstructure of modern ships. Eastern designs developed earlier, with efficient middle decks and minimalist fore and aft cabin structures across a range of designs. Binnacle (before 18th century bittacle, through Span. ... forecastle with figurehead Grand Turk Focsle of the Prince William, a modern square rigged ship, in the North Sea. ... A cabin or cab is an enclosed space, in a ship, see cabin (ship), in an aircraft or spacecraft as a log cabin as in a hansom cab see also Uncle Toms Cabin This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise...

Common names for decks

In vessels having more than one deck there are various naming conventions, numerically, alphabetically, etc. However, there are also a variety of common historical names and types of decks:

• Berth deck: [Naval] A deck next below the gun deck, where the hammocks of the crew are swung.
• Boat deck: Especially on ships with sponsons, the deck area where lifeboats or the ship's gig are stored.
• Boiler deck: (River Steamers) The deck on which the boilers are placed.
• Bridge deck: (a) The deck area including the helm and navigation station, and where the Officer on deck will be found, also known as the Con (b) An athwartships structure at the forward end of the cockpit with a deck, often somewhat lower than the primary deck, to prevent a pooping wave from entering through the companionway.
• Flush deck: Any continuous, unbroken deck from stem to stern.
• Gun deck: [Naval] a deck below the spar deck, on which the ship's guns are carried. If there are two gun decks, the upper one is called the main deck, the lower, the lower gun deck; if there are three, one is called the middle gun deck.
• Half-deck: That portion of the deck next below the spar deck which is between the mainmast and the cabin.
• Helo deck: Usually located near the stern and always kept clear of obstacles hazardous to a helicopter landing.
• Hurricane deck: (River Steamers, etc.), the upper deck, usually a light deck, erected above the frame of the hull.
• Middle or Waist deck The upper deck amidships, the working area of the deck.
• Orlop deck: The deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line. It is the lowest deck in a ship.
• Poop deck: The deck forming the roof of a poop or poop cabin, built on the upper deck and extending from the mizzenmast aft.
• Promenade deck: A "wrap-around porch" found on passenger ships and riverboats encircling the superstructure.
• Quarter-deck: (a) The part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast, including the poop deck when there is one. Usually reserved for ship's officers, guests, and passengers. (b) [Naval] The area to which a gangway for officers and diplomatic guests to board the vessel leads. Also any entry point for personnel.
• Side-decks: The upper decks outboard of any structures such as a coachroof or doghouse, also called a breezeway
• Spar deck: (a) Same as the upper deck. (b) Sometimes a light deck fitted over the upper deck.
• Sweep deck: [Naval] The aftmost deck on a minesweeper, set close to the waterline for ease in lauch and recovery of equipment.
• Upper deck: The highest deck of the hull, extending from stem to stern.
• Weather deck: (a) Any deck exposed to the outside. (b) The windward side decks.

^[2] Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. ... Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats , etc. ... A Captains Gig is a boat used on naval ships as the Captains taxi. ... A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated under pressure. ... A helm can mean: The steering mechanism of a vessel, from Old English helma, Proto-Germanic *khelman handle (c. ... A cockpit was a pit used for cockfighting, where owners would pit fighting birds against each other for the purpose of gambling. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... Companion, in its most common meaning, refers to a close friend or associate. ... Gun deck originally referred to a deck aboard a ship that was primarily used for the mounting of cannon in broadsides. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... This article is about the convenience store. ... The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. ... A cabin or cab is an enclosed space, in a ship, see cabin (ship), in an aircraft or spacecraft as a log cabin as in a hansom cab see also Uncle Toms Cabin This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... The orlop deck is the lowest deck in a ship. ... A cable is two or more wires or optical fibers bound together, typically in a common protective jacket or sheath. ... Stern of the Grand Turk with poop deck above In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that constitutes the roof of a poop cabin built in the aft (rear) part of the superstructure of a ship. ... The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. ... The promenade deck is a deck found on several types of passenger ships and riverboats. ... A first class tourist riverboat High speed planing riverboat High speed hydrofoil riverboat Local passenger transport craft Riverboat specialized for cargo truck transport Self propelled gravel barge M.V. Splendid China layout A riverboat is a specialized watercraft (vessel) designed for operating on inland waterways. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... Gangway was a Danish band (now-defunct), sometimes classified as indiepop. ... Bolinders two cylinder Trim outboard engine. ... First dog Dash, outside of his doghouse during U.S. President Harrisons tenure. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... USS Pivot (AM 276) World War II United States Admirable Class Minesweeper shown in the Gulf of Mexico on sea trials 12 July 1944 Image:Hameln Class. ... Aft of the Soleil Royal, by Jean Bérain the Elder. ... Windward is the side of a boat into which the wind is blowing. ...

Construction

Methods in wood

A traditional wood deck would consist of planks laid fore and aft over beams and along carlins, the seams of which are caulked and payed with tar. A yacht or other fancy boat might then have the deck canvased, with the fabric laid down in a thick layer of paint or sealant, and additional coats painted over. The wash or apron boards form the joint between the deck planking and that of the topsides, and are caulked similarly. A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi, Pakistan. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Modern "constructed decks" are used primarily on fibreglass, composite, and cold-molded hulls. The under structure of beams and carlins is the same as above. The decking itself is usually multiple layers of marine-grade plywood, covered over with layers of fibreglass in a plastic resin such as epoxy or polyester overlapped onto the topsides of the hull. There is a disputed proposal to merge this article with glass-reinforced plastic. ... Model constructed from plywood. ... Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks) when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in the United... SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ...

Methods in metal

Generally speaking, the method outlined for "constructed decks" is most similar to metal decks. The deck plating is laid over metal beams and carlins and tacked temporarily in place. The difficulty in metal construction is avoiding distortion of the plate while welding due to the high heat involved in the process. Welds are usually double pass, meaning each seam is welded twice, a time consuming process which may take longer than building the wood deck. But welds result in a waterproof deck which is strong and easily repairable. The deck structure is welded to the hull, making it structurally a single unit. Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... Beam may refer to: Look up beam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. ... In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is defined as energy in transit. ...

Because a metal deck, painted to reduce corrosion, can be quite slippery as well as picking up heat from the sun and being quite loud to work on, often a layer of wood decking or thick non-skid paint are applied to its surface. Corrosion is deterioration of intrinsic properties in a material due to reactions with its environment. ... The Sun is the star of our solar system. ...

Methods in fibreglass

The process for building a deck in fibreglass is the same as for building a hull: a female mould is built, a layer of gel coat is sprayed in, then layers of fibreglass in resin are built up to the required deck thickness (if the deck has a core, the outer skin layers of fibreglass and resin are laid, then the core material, and finally the inner skin layers.) The deck is removed from the mould and usually mechanically fastened to the hull. A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ... A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ...

Fibreglass decks are quite slick with their mirror-smooth surfaces, so a non-skid texture is often moulded into their surface, or non-skid pads glued down in working areas.

Rules of thumb to determine the deck scantlings:

The thickness of the decking affects how strong the hull is, and is directly related to how thick the skin of the hull itself is, which is of course related to how large the vessel is, the kind of work it is expected to do, and the kind of weather it may reasonably be expected to endure. While a Naval Engineer or Architect may have precise methods of determining what the scantlings should be, traditional builders used previous experiences and simpler rules-of-thumb to determine how thick the deck should be built. A permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1]. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the lid of the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. ...

The numbers derived by these forumlae gives a rough number for determining the average thickness of materials based on some crude hull measurements. Below the waterline the thickness should be approximately 115% of the result, while upper topsides and decks might be reduced to 85% of the result.

• In wood - For plank thickness in inches, LOA (Length OverAll) and Beam are measured in feet. For plank thickness in mm, LOA and Beam are measured in meters.
  • Plank thickness in inches =
  • Plank thickness in mm =
• In fiberglass - For skin thickness in inches, LWL (Length WaterLine) is in feet. For skin thickness in mm, LWL is in meters.
  • Skin thickness (inches) =
  • Skin thickness (mm) =
• In fiberglass sandwiche - First determine the skin thickness as single skin, then multiply by modifiers for inner skin, outer skin, and core thicknesses. Cored decks might be modified even thicker, 2.6-2.7, to increase stiffness.
  • Inner skin modifier = 0.3
  • Outer skin modifier = 0.4
  • Core modifier = 2.2

^[3]

Glossary

A brief glossary, by no means complete.

• athwartships - perpendicular to fore and aft.
• beam - a timber similar in use to a floor joist, which runs from one side of the hull to the other athwartships.
• boat - A smaller vessel able to be carried on the deck of a larger one.
• carlin - similar to a beam, except running in a fore and aft direction.
• caulk - to make water-tight by driving caulking (usually loose cotton fibers) into a seam, followed by a coarser fiber material such as oakum.
• core - in fibreglass construction, a layer between fiberglass skins, made of foam, endgrain balsa, or other strengthening material to increase the stiffness of the deck.
• fore and aft - parallel to a line from the stem to the stern.
• gel coat - a heavily pigmented layer of plastic resin.
• oakum - loosely twisted hemp or jute or other crude fibre, sometimes treated with creosote or tar before use.
• pay - to pour into or fill up a seam so it is level with the top of the plank.
• plating - sheets of metal, generally simple flat pieces but may be formed into complex curvatures.
• pooping wave - A wave which comes over the stern and onto the deck.
• scantling - the critical dimensions of any element of the ship; so for the skin and deck of the hull it would be the thickness (of the planks, fibreglass layup, hull plating, etc.)
• seam - the space between two planks.
• ship - There are several definitions of ship, but in this case it is a vessel large enough to carry boats on deck.
• stem - The timber at the front of the hull.
• stern - back end of the hull
• topsides - the upper surfaces of the hull from the waterline to the deck.

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References

1. Edwards, Fred (illustrated by Sollers, Jim); Sailing as a Second Language: An illustrated dictionary; International Marine Publishing Company; © 1988 Highmark Publishing Ltd.; ISBN 0-87742-965-0
2. Webster, Noah Ed.; Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - 1913; Project Gutenberg(eText numbers 660-670)
3. Gerr, David; The Nature of Boats: Insights and esoterica for the nautically obsessed; International Marine; &copy 1992 International Marine; ISBN 0-87742-289-3

Anatomy of sailing ships