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What a poop deck
Masts
The HMS Victory sported a
bowsprit (the pole extending THE QUARTERDECK THE POOP DECK
beyond the ship's head), fore mast, The nerve centre of the Located at the stern, this short deck takes its name
main mast, mizzen mast and main ship, where its from the Latin word puppis, which literally means 'after
yard. A total of 26 miles (41.9km) of commander dictated its deck' or 'rear deck'. This deck was mainly used for
cordage, as well as 768 elm and ash manoeuvres and actions signalling, but also gave some protection to the man
blocks, were used to rig the ship. often under heavy gunfire helming the ship's wheel.
from rival vessels.

THE GUNDECKS THE HULL THE ORLOP
Housed the majority of the Victory's The hull was the The only other
cannons, with a tiered arrangement largest storage deck below the
from top to bottom (largest cannons on area on the ship waterline, the
the bottom, smallest on the top). These where up to six orlopwas
decks also housed the majority of the crew months of food another storage
and Royal Marines, sleeping in hammocks and drink could area and also
suspended from battens fixed to overhead be stored, as habitation deck
beams. The lower gun deck also acted as well as any for certain crew
mess deck, the space where the crew excess supplies. members such
would live and eat. as the purser.

Cannons
As a first rate ship of the line, the
Victory was a three-gundeck
warship with over 100 guns. In fact,
the Victory was fitted with 104
cannons: 30 x 2.75 ton long pattern
32-pounders on the gundeck, 28 x
2.5 ton long 12-pounders on the
middle gundeck, 30 x 1.7 ton short
12-pounders on the upper gundeck,
12 x 1.7 ton short 12-pounders on
the quarterdeck, and 2 x medium
12-pounders and 2 x 68-pounder
carronades on the forecastle.

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