Sea Skills: Parts of a Ship
To work safely at sea, you need to know your way around a ship. In wartime, new sailors had to learn the names of key parts very quickly, both outside on deck and inside below.
Some important outside parts:
- Bow – the front of the ship.
- Stern – the back of the ship.
- Port – the left-hand side when you are facing forwards.
- Starboard – the right-hand side when you are facing forwards.
- Bridge – where the ship is controlled and navigated.
- Mast and funnel – for signals, radar and letting exhaust gas escape.
Inside, a wartime ship was divided into compartments:
- Mess deck – where the crew lived, slept and ate.
- Galley – the ship’s kitchen.
- Engine room – machinery spaces for engines and generators.
- Magazine – where ammunition was stored.
- Wheelhouse – sometimes separate from the open bridge, where the wheel is.
This game shows a simple cartoon escort ship from the Second World War and a cut-away view of the inside. Your task is to match the names of parts to where they are likely to be on the ship.
Ship Parts Game
Each round, you will be given the name of a part. Decide whether it is mainly outside or inside, then click the matching area on the ship diagram.
Part name
Click “Next part” to begin.
You will see a short description here explaining what this part does.
Tip: imagine walking from the bow to the stern on a small escort ship in the 1940s. Which parts would you see on deck, and which would be deep inside?
Outside or inside?
The top diagram is the outside of the ship seen from the side. The lower rectangle is a simple cut-away showing inside spaces.
Challenge: draw your own version of this ship and label as many parts as you can.
Cartoon Escort Ship
Outside view (side profile)
Inside view (simple cut-away)