Ship’s Spaces and Deck Equipment
There are three different decks on Pommern: the weather deck, the tween deck and the cargo hold. The crew lived and worked on the weather deck, with cargo stored on the other two decks. On the weather deck there are also several deckhouses with room for equipment needed for sailing, navigation and other work that was done onboard.
DECKHOUSE
Large Deckhouse
Large Deckhouse
The large deckhouse is located at the fore of the ship and houses the fo’c’sle, galley and steam boiler. Common seamen or able seamen, deckhands, and apprentices lived and slept in the fo’c’sle. The pig pens are located just in front of the large deckhouse.
Small Deckhouse
Small Deckhouse
In the small deckhouse towards the stern you will find the carpenter’s workshop, cook’s cabin, and the small fo’c’sle. The small fo’c’sle was home to the ‘day’ sailors who were active only during the day with no night shift responsibilities. Also, the boatswain, sail makers, carpenter, as well as the Donkeyman whose job was to operate the steam boiler and act as the ship’s smithy.
Officer’s Rooms
Officer’s Rooms
Both the captain’s living quarters (including bathroom and saloon) and officer’s rooms are in the aft of the ship. There were cabins for three mates, a steward and passengers, as well as the officer’s mess, sail locker, a pantry, and sick bay.
On the Tween Deck beneath the officer’s rooms you can find storage for the ship’s provisions, and above on the Poop Deck, the navigation cabin.
Navigation Cabin
Navigation Cabin
The Navigation Cabin is on the Poop Deck above the officer’s rooms. It contains all the equipment needed for navigation, including sextants, chronometers, as well as navigational charts, logbooks, binoculars, signal flags and other important equipment.
DECK EQUIPMENT
Anchor and Windlass
Anchor and Windlass
There are two anchors on Pommern, each weighing 2.5 tons with an anchor chain that is 150 m long. When the ship was out at sea both anchors were fastened to the deck. As the ship got closer to land, they would hang on the outside of the gunwale. Raising the anchor was hard work so the crew would attach a cable to the windlass and pull anchor with the help of the donkey boiler.
Winches
Winches
There are several different types of winches onboard Pommern. The steam driven winches assisted in loading and unloading cargo. There are two halyard winches, six deck winches, and three brace winches. The brace winch, also known as a Jarvis winch, was patented in 1892 by J.C. Jarvis and was one of the last important improvements for square rigged sailing, allowing three yards to be swung simultaneously. This resulted in fewer crew being needed, a cost saving for ship owners.
The Capstan
The Capstan
The capstan is a manual winch which is connected to the anchor via a shaft to help with raising and lowering the anchor. There are several capstans onboard.
The Hot Bulb Engine
The Hot Bulb Engine
This one-cylinder engine, installed in the 1920s, was used to assist with loading and unloading cargo. In the 1930s it was even used to help raise the anchor.
Bilge Pump
Bilge Pump
The bilge pump was used to remove water from the cargo hold. It could be operated by hand or connected to the boiler with chain cables. There is also the only pump for the freshwater cistern, holing about 27 tons.
The Ship’s Bells
The Ship’s Bells
There are two bells onboard. The large ship’s bell is in the fore of the ship. It was used to communicate with the officer standing at rear of the ship, where the small bell is located.
Freshwater Tanks
Freshwater Tanks
In the cargo hold there are water tanks which were filled before a journey. Fresh water was strictly rationed to ensure it lasted a whole voyage.
The Donkey Boiler
The Donkey Boiler
The steam boiler or donkey boiler was used to load and unload cargo as well as for the windlass and bilge pump. It wasn’t used to propel the ship.
Compass and Binnacle
Compass and Binnacle
The compass is on the poop deck on top of a binnacle, a case or stand to hold navigational equipment. The brass dome on the compass contained an oil lamp lit during the night. The binnacle has two anti-magnetic rods on each side to ensure the compass remains true.
Loading Hatches
Loading Hatches
There are four cargo loading hatches on the weather deck through which cargo was loaded and unloaded.