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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, yet 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 is usually 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.

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

• Common names for decks
• Main deck

References

1. Getty Images, Taffrail Pictures and Images
2. http://phrontistery.info, Nautical Terms
3. Yachting, Dec. 2006 issue, page 94
4. US Navy, LPD 17 Program Summary, Jan. 2017
5. Marine Technology, Vol. 18, No. 1, Jan. 1981, pp. 38-50 Motion Studies of a Vessel with Water on Deck by Jeff Dillingham
6. The Greek Age of Bronze Ships

• Sailing ship components
• Shipbuilding
• Nautical terminology