Bridge ( nautical ) The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded . When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW ( officer of the watch ) aided usually by an AB ( able seaman ) acting as lookout . During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge supported , perhaps , by an OOW as an extra set of hands , an AB on the wheel and sometimes a pilot if required . Wheelhouses are the small enclosed parts of a bridge which historically held the ship ' s steering wheel . Today , ship bridges do not have a separate wheelhouse . In some cases , the term wheelhouse is used interchangeably to refer to the bridge . Evolution . Traditionally , sailing ships were commanded from the quarter deck , aft of the mainmast . With the arrival of paddle steamers , engineers required a platform from which they could inspect the paddle wheels and where the captain ' s view would not be obstructed by the paddle houses . A raised walkway , literally a bridge , connecting the paddle houses was therefore provided . When the screw propeller superseded the paddle wheel , the bridge was retained . Traditionally , commands would be passed from the senior officer on the bridge to stations dispersed throughout the ship , where physical control of the ship was exercised , as technology did not exist for the remote control of steering or machinery . Helm orders would be passed to an enclosed wheel house , where the coxswain or helmsman operated the ship ' s wheel . Engine commands would be relayed to the engineer in the engine room by an engine order telegraph , which displayed the captain ' s orders on a dial . The engineer would ensure that the correct combination of steam pressure and engine revolutions were applied . The bridge was often open to the elements , therefore a weatherproof pilot house could be provided , from which a pilot , who was traditionally the ship ' s navigating officer , could issue commands from shelter . Iron , and later steel , ships also required a compass platform . This was usually a tower , where a magnetic compass could be sited far away as possible from the ferrous interference of the hulk of the ship . Depending upon the design and layout of a ship , all of these terms can be variously interchangeable . Many ships still have a flying bridge , a platform atop the pilot house , open to weather , containing a binnacle and voice tubes to allow the conning officer to direct the ship from a higher position during fair weather conditions . Larger ships , particularly warship s , often had a number of different bridges . A navigation bridge would be used for the actual conning of the ship . A separate admiral ' s bridge could be provided in flagship s , where the admiral could exercise strategic control over his fleet without interfering with the Captain ' s tactical command of the vessel . In older warships , a heavily armored conning tower was often provided , where the vital command staff could be located under protection to ensure that the ship could be commanded under fire . Modern advances in remote control equipment have seen progressive transfer of the actual control of the ship to the bridge . The wheel and throttle s can be operated directly from the bridge , controlling often - unmanned machinery spaces . Aboard modern warships it is common that actual commanding is carried out on the bridge while weapon systems are controlled from a room usually deep inside the vessel . This also enables a redundant setup in which the vessel is still able to fight in case one of the command instances has been hit or destroyed .