A Sample Caravel
This caravel is a typical example of the type, although the interior arrangement can vary greatly from ship to ship. Its notable features include:
1. Quarterdeck: The quarterdeck is a raised, open deck at the stern. The ship's wheel is here, along with a small davit for a ship's boat.
2. Foc'sle Deck: This is a raised, open deck atop the forecastle. The caravel mounts a ballista here; the weapon can't fire straight ahead because of the foremast. On the starboard side is the hawsepipe and tackle for the ship's anchor.
3. Master's Cabin: The largest and most comfortable cabin on the ship is still quite cramped by most standards.
4. Wardroom: The captain, officers, and passengers take their meals here. This room also serves as a drawing room or parlor the officers and passengers.
5. Main Deck: This open deck features a catapult and two companionways that descend to the lower deck. The catapult can only be fired to the broadside; it can't train forward aft(a typical problem with large weapons mounted on small, cluttered ships). The companionways serve as both stairways ladders, in nautical parlance) and cargo hatches. Chicken coops and pens for goats, lambs, or other small livestock often take up any available space left on the deck.
6. Forecastle: Most of the ship's crew sleeps here, although in good weather many crewmembers prefer to sleep on the open decks. The forecastle holds a dozen cramped bunks.
7. Galley: The ship's galley is in the forward part of the lower deck. It has a small stove and shelving for all kinds of foodstuffs. The ship's cook and his assistant(s) sleep here.
8. Chain Locker: The ship's anchor chain is stored here. It passes through the hawsepipe in the forecastle up to the foc's'le deck.
9. Lower Deck: This space serves as the first of the caravel's cargo holds, as well as the crew's mess deck. Crewmembers take their meals sitting on whatever cargo is convenient. If the ship is heavily laden, this deck might be covered to within a foot of the overhead, leaving only a single fore-and-aft passage between the crates, casks, and bundles.
10. Officer's Cabins: These tiny cabins are the private rooms of the ship's officers. Paying passengers usually bump an officer from his or her cabin to the forecastle.
11. Ship's Office: All the ship's paperwork is kept here, including cargo manifests, pay records, and the ship's paychest (usually in a sturdy, locked chest).
12. Sail Locker: Spare sails, canvas, and sewing gear is stored here, as well as plenty of lines, hawsers, firewood, and heavy tools.
13. Lower Hold: Most of the ship's cargo is stowed here, as well as provisions (including as many casks of fresh water as will fit). Beneath this lower hold lies a small crawlspace where heavy ballast stones help to stabilize the ship.