forecastle
Sign in to savethumb|300px|Replica of the Victoria (ship)|Victoria, the only one of [[Ferdinand Magellan's five ships to return to Spain in 1522, showing both a forecastle (left) and quarterdeck (right).]]
Article
5 sectionsContents
- History and design
- See also
- References
- Citations
- External links
thumb|300px|Replica of the Victoria (ship)|Victoria, the only one of [[Ferdinand Magellan's five ships to return to Spain in 1522, showing both a forecastle (left) and quarterdeck (right).]]
The forecastle ( ; contracted as '''fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le''') is the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to its latter meaning is the phrase "before the mast" which denotes anything related to ordinary sailors, as opposed to a ship's officers.