Underneath the main deck is this level. It is most often filled with cannon, with gunports cut in the sides. At least six cannon can fit on a side, with perhaps a couple more facing aft as chase guns. Depending on the needs of the crew, their could be some hammocks strung up in the middle of the deck to provided more sleeping space.
11In the middle of the gun deck stands this structure, one that is both loved and hated by sailors. While it can often mean the difference between surviving and returning to life on land, or finding one's death in the cold embrace of the sea, it can also make for brutal labor when the hull is badly damaged. One pipe leads down from here to the lower deck, while another juts out through the ship's starboard side.
This broad area is flanked forward by the forecastle, and aft by the quarterdeck. The mainmast juts upward from it, while the cargo hatch and stairways provide access to lower levels. Some vessels carry six cannon on this deck, three to each side.
2Six small cabins in this area can provide sleeping space for a variety of passenger, or even for lesser officers aboard a ship.
3This large cabin provides space for the captain, along with room enough for hosting meals and meetings. A typical arrangement of furnishings could include a bed, writing desk and wardrobe, along with a table and chairs.
4Despite this area's relatively small size, it can easily hold a dozen hammocks or more. Given that crew members tend to share this sleeping space when they are not on duty, this allows a large number of sailors to be quartered here.
5This open area in front of the forecastle is used for little more than storage.
The raised platform here is common on merchant and military vessels, but pirates often remove it to provide more open space for combat. As a result, members of a pirate crew are forced to sleep on the open deck or to string up a hammock somewhere below decks. The foremast protrudes through here.
7A short set of stairs leads from the main deck up to here, and another leads from here up to the poop deck. The mizzenmast rises up through this area.
8The person in charge of plotting the ship's course is quartered here, with a view better than that of anyone other than the lookouts in the rigging overhead. This cabin is outfitted much like the captain's cabin, albeit without the table and chairs for hosting.