The Tall Ships are Coming, The Tall Ships are Coming!

If you are like me, you don't know much about the terminology about 'Tall Ships'. Here is a list to assist the novices such as me. What a fascinating subject this is and how majestic these ships must be! Carteret County will find out first hand beginning June 30, 2006! Shipboard Terminology Amidships - the middle section of a ship Bow - the front of a ship. Compare prow Bridge - a navigational command centre Bulkheads - internal "walls" in a ship. Many bulkheads have a structural function as well as dividing spaces. They serve to maintain stability, to prevent water from flooding the entire ship in the event of a breach of the hull, and to contain fire. Many bulkheads feature watertight doors which, in the case of certain types of ships, the crew may close remotely. Cabin - an enclosed room on a deck Capstan - pulley-oriented mechanism Decks - the "floor"s and also different levels of a ship Deck Head - The "ceilings" inside a ship. Sometimes panelled over to hide the pipework. Figurehead - symbolic image adorning the bow of a traditional sailing ship Forecastle - an upper forward deck; or sailors' living quarters Galley - the kitchen of the ship Gunwhale - the surrounding "wall" at the top of the hull Hold - The lower part of the interior of a ship's hull, especially when considered as storage space for cargo. Hull - the shell or framework of the basic flotation-oriented part of a ship Keel - the central structural basis of the hull Mast - a pole designed for the suspension of one or more sails Port - the side of the ship which lies to the left when the observer faces forward. (A mnemonic to distinguish port and starboard notes that left and port both have four letters.) Prow - alternative term for [bow] Scupper - a drainage opening Starboard - the side of the ship which lies to the right when the observer faces forward Stern - the rear of the ship -- also known in a directional sense as aft Windlass - hydraulic winch mechanism used to raise and lower the ship's cable, and to heave in on hawsers.