Post by Tobias Scylding on May 12, 2007 17:46:19 GMT -5
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.
* Bridge deck: (a) The deck area including the helm and navigation station, and where the Officer of the Deck will be found, also known as the conn (b) An athwartships structure at the forward end of the thingypit 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.
* Main deck: The highest deck of the hull (also called the upper deck, see below), usually but not always the weather deck. Anything above the main deck is superstructure.
* 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.
* 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.
Guns and Chasers
On ships, cannons are never called cannons (cannons are land based), always guns. The number of guns down the side of the ship depends on the size and structure of the ship (sloops as the smaller of the ships carry approx 15 guns in total).
Chasers are the guns located in the bow and stern of the ship, 2 max. on smaller ships, 3 on larger ships otherwise they would mess up the balance of the ship. They are longer than the guns and have a greater range.
Ammo
Cannonballs are not called cannonballs but shots.
Solid Shot Multipurpose, but better than anything against the hull.
Round: yer basic iron cannonball
Stone: a round rock. Shatters on impact. Cheap, but not as powerful as roundshot.
Dismantling Shot Used primarily against the sails and rigging
Bar: two iron hemispheres joined by a solid bar.
Expanding: two objects, both hemispheres with solid bars, but they are coupled together so that once they are fired from the gun, they expand out to about double the size of normal bar-shot.
Chain: two iron balls connected by a chain - larger size than either of the above two.
Star: a 10 segment chain formed into a ring. This expands out to cover a huge surface area when fired, but it ends up being somewhat weaker than the above types.
Anti-Personnel- extremely effective against crew, less so against other parts of the ship.
Langridge: the poor-man's canister shot. "Langridge" was a fancy name for "shove in lots of nails, gravel, clamshells - whatever" It wasn't terribly effective, but it was easy to come by.
Canister: the standard anti-personnel shot. It was literally a can filled with little iron balls.
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.
* Bridge deck: (a) The deck area including the helm and navigation station, and where the Officer of the Deck will be found, also known as the conn (b) An athwartships structure at the forward end of the thingypit 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.
* Main deck: The highest deck of the hull (also called the upper deck, see below), usually but not always the weather deck. Anything above the main deck is superstructure.
* 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.
* 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.
Guns and Chasers
On ships, cannons are never called cannons (cannons are land based), always guns. The number of guns down the side of the ship depends on the size and structure of the ship (sloops as the smaller of the ships carry approx 15 guns in total).
Chasers are the guns located in the bow and stern of the ship, 2 max. on smaller ships, 3 on larger ships otherwise they would mess up the balance of the ship. They are longer than the guns and have a greater range.
Ammo
Cannonballs are not called cannonballs but shots.
Solid Shot Multipurpose, but better than anything against the hull.
Round: yer basic iron cannonball
Stone: a round rock. Shatters on impact. Cheap, but not as powerful as roundshot.
Dismantling Shot Used primarily against the sails and rigging
Bar: two iron hemispheres joined by a solid bar.
Expanding: two objects, both hemispheres with solid bars, but they are coupled together so that once they are fired from the gun, they expand out to about double the size of normal bar-shot.
Chain: two iron balls connected by a chain - larger size than either of the above two.
Star: a 10 segment chain formed into a ring. This expands out to cover a huge surface area when fired, but it ends up being somewhat weaker than the above types.
Anti-Personnel- extremely effective against crew, less so against other parts of the ship.
Langridge: the poor-man's canister shot. "Langridge" was a fancy name for "shove in lots of nails, gravel, clamshells - whatever" It wasn't terribly effective, but it was easy to come by.
Canister: the standard anti-personnel shot. It was literally a can filled with little iron balls.
