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.

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.