Wiktionary
n. (alternative form of aftcastle English)
Wikipedia
An aftercastle (or sterncastle, sometimes aftcastle) is the stern structure behind the mizzenmast and above the transom on large sailing ships, such as carracks, caravels, galleons and galleasses. It usually houses the captain's cabin and perhaps additional cabins, and is crowned by the poop deck, which on man-of-wars provided a heightened platform from which to fire upon other ships; it was also a place of defense in the event of boarding. More common, but much smaller, is the forecastle.
As sailing ships evolved, the aftercastle gave way to the quarterdeck, whose span ran all the way to the main mast.
Usage examples of "aftercastle".
Nicholas peered and then he could see the ship, black against dark gray, now clearly seen for what she was, a huge thing with high aftercastle, and a rear lateen spanker sail.
The raised bridge, the aftercastle and observation decks and lounges, became steep knolls skinned in topsoil.
When she finally reached the door of the aftercastle chamber where Brashen had strung his hammock, she paused.
Before the archer could finish drawing, the door to the aftercastle flew open and a short, black-bearded man came stamping out.
In the shelter of the aftercastle two men stood at the long tiller, feet braced wide apart and chests slick with sweat.
Blade saw that one archer was sprawled on the aftercastle, his face a bloody mask, but the other was still shooting as fast as he could find targets.
There were six men about on the deck, watching the sail or keeping lookout, rand the steersman on the steerboard side of the aftercastle raised a hand to Thorsten to signal all was well as he and Aylwin climbed the ladder to the higher deck.
They went down from the aftercastle again, and into a small cabin sandwiched between it and the main deck, where they shared a meal of dried meat and hard biscuit, washed down with ale.
He stood on the aftercastle, his eyes darting about as he watched the fluttering ribbons on the rigging which showed the direction of the wind relative to the ship, the set of the sail, the waves coming up behind the sternpost, and the dark, menacing line of the shore, which seemed to be creeping closer.
The whiskey bottles were in one of his bags in the aftercastle and he had his reputation to sustain.
Vannier and Ferris to get into the lifeboat, called to McKinnon to cast off aft, and half-ran, half-stumbled up the heeling, slippery deck to where the girl and the soldier stood half-way between the aftercastle screen door and the ladder leading to the poop-deck above.
A row of diamond panes frosted in starlight were open, and the great aftercastle window showed a rippling moon dancing in the wake.
It was black and looked like a Quegan galley, with high fore- and aftercastles, large mainsails, and a hell of a lot of beam.
The traders were transom-sterned for the most part, with aftercastles that sometimes reached almost to the mainmasts.
A twelve-pounder frigate, of course, although she has nine-pounders on her fore- and aftercastles instead of the usual sixes.