Forecastle (Fo'c'sle)

The Forecastle (traditionally pronounced and often written “fo'c'sle”) is the forward part of a ship's upper deck, and the structure or space beneath it, near the bow. On modern merchant ships the forecastle is the raised deck at the very front, housing the anchor-handling equipment (windlass), mooring gear, and the chain locker and stores below.

The name and the space date from sailing days, when the forecastle was a raised structure forward (and where the crew were often quartered — hence “before the mast”). Today the forecastle is primarily a working deck for anchoring and forward mooring operations, and its raised height also helps keep the bow dry in a seaway. It is one of the named regions of a ship, alongside the bridge, poop and amidships, part of the enduring vocabulary of a vessel's layout.