Parts of a Ship

Masts and Funnels

Many people associate masts with sailing ships. On older ships masts were used to house the 'crow's nest', an area on the upper most mast used by crew members as a lookout for any manner of shipping hazards, including pirates (arrhhh). As technology advanced, most large ships became steam or diesel powered, and were fitted with navigational radars.

Most traditional old masts of the sailing ships were revamped to house navigational equipment, lights, and even attachment points to allow for transfer of crew or goods between ships.

Masts can be built to rise out of a deck to transfer goods or personnel, and then withdrawn to keep them out of the way.

There are falling hazards associated with working off masts. There is also the concern they can emit ionizing radiation if they house navigational equipment. To mitigate these hazards the masts are built to be up high and out of the way of crew performing normal duties. Some radars on masts are rotating; so extreme care must be taken for workers not to get trapped by the equipment.

Funnels

Funnels, which can also be referred to as exhaust funnels, protrude above the upper deck structures. These large enclosed areas house the exhaust pipes from all the various machinery found inside the vessel. The outer sheeting provides a certain amount of shelter from the weather and also a sound barrier.

Although associated with exhaust pipes, funnels can also be used to provide intake/combustion air for the machinery and may have large louvers or filters fitted onto their sides that lead into the ducting for the engines.

Funnels are strategically placed above the machinery spaces to minimize the ducting, reduce weight, and provide an efficient path for the air to travel. The exhaust areas are located very high up above the decks and the pipes are angles to the aft end of the ship to properly expel the exhaust gases.