page_title: Aftercastle
hierarchical_section_title: Aftercastle
caption_attribution_description: Aftercastle of the frigate Méduse
context_page_description: An aftercastle is the stern structure behind the mizzenmast and above the transom on large sailing ships, such as carracks, caravels, galleons and galleasses. It usually houses the captain's cabin and perhaps additional cabins and is crowned by the poop deck, which on men-of-war provided a heightened platform from which to fire upon other ships; it was also a place of defence in the event of boarding. More common, but much smaller, is the forecastle.
  As sailing ships evolved, the aftercastle gave way to the quarterdeck, whose span ran all the way to the main mast.
context_section_description: An aftercastle (or sometimes aftcastle) is the stern structure behind the mizzenmast and above the transom on large sailing ships, such as carracks, caravels, galleons and galleasses. It usually houses the captain's cabin and perhaps additional cabins and is crowned by the poop deck, which on men-of-war provided a heightened platform from which to fire upon other ships; it was also a place of defence in the event of boarding. More common, but much smaller, is the forecastle.
  As sailing ships evolved, the aftercastle gave way to the quarterdeck, whose span ran all the way to the main mast.
caption: Aftercastle of the frigate Méduse, as seen from the deck
exif: {"Image DocumentName": "IMG_4780.JPG", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5D Mark II", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "GIMP 2.6.12", "Image DateTime": "2012:05:05 11:21:44", "Image Artist": "", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image Copyright": "", "Image ExifOffset": "272", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 2, 0, 0]", "Image GPSInfo": "8054", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "8166", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "9535", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/4", "EXIF FNumber": "9", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "250", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2012:05:05 08:43:05", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2012:05:05 08:43:05", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "2", "EXIF ApertureValue": "51/8", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-1/3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "100", "EXIF SubSecTime": "79", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "79", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "79", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4276", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2837", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "8024", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "5616000/1459", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1872000/479", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}