Deck Department
The seamanship department — lines, anchors, boats, and underway replenishment.
What They Do
The Deck Department is the keeper of seamanship, the oldest craft aboard any warship. Its sailors handle the mooring lines and anchors that secure the ship, rig the gear for underway replenishment, lower and recover the ship’s boats, and maintain the hull, paintwork, and topside spaces against the corrosion of the sea.
Organized into numbered divisions responsible for sections of the ship, deck sailors master the lines, winches, and rigging that connect a vessel to pier, anchor, and other ships. Theirs is physical, weather-exposed work that demands skill with rope and steel and a deep respect for the forces involved in moving and securing a ship of this size.
Aboard Constellation
Underway replenishment was the department’s signature evolution. Steaming alongside a supply ship, deck crews shot lines across the gap and rigged the highlines and fuel hoses that brought aboard the food, parts, and fuel a deployed carrier consumed at a staggering rate. It was demanding, precise work performed in the narrow water between two moving giants.
Between such evolutions, deck sailors fought the endless battle against rust and salt, chipping, priming, and painting to preserve the hull. They also crewed the boats and tended the lines whenever the ship entered or left port. Their seamanship kept the ship supplied, secured, and seaworthy through every mile of the deployment.
Divisions
Divisions
The Deck Department comprised 3 divisions; each has its own roster page with every Sailor by rank, name, and a link to the cruise book.
Questions & Answers
What does the Deck Department do?
It handles seamanship tasks, mooring lines, anchors, boats, underway replenishment rigging, and hull upkeep, keeping the ship secured, supplied at sea, and preserved against corrosion.
What is underway replenishment?
Underway replenishment is the transfer of fuel, stores, and supplies between ships while both are steaming, accomplished by rigging lines and hoses across the gap, work led by the Deck Department.