What is "crow's nest"

crow's-nest \crow's"-nest`\, crow's nest \crow's" nest`\(kr[=o]z"n[e^]st`), n. (Naut.) A box or platform near the top of a mast, esp. in whalers, to shelter the man on the lookout.

n. (context nautical English) A small open-top shelter, originally a cask, on the top of the foremast, large enough to accommodate a lookout. It was used by whalers to watch for a blow (spout), or in icebound waters to seek a channel.

n. platform for a lookout at or near the top of a mast

A crow's nest is a structure in the upper part of the main mast of a ship or a structure that is used as a lookout point.

This position ensured the best view for lookouts to spot approaching hazards, other ships, or land. It was the best device for this purpose until the invention of radar.

In the early 19th century, it was simply a barrel or a basket lashed to the tallest mast. Later, it became a specially designed platform with protective railing. The barrel crow's nest was invented in 1807 by the Arctic explorer William Scoresby, Sr. A statue in Whitby, North Yorkshire commemorates the event.

It should not be confused with the top, the platform in the upper part of each lower mast of a square-rigged sailing ship.

The first recorded appearance of the term was in 1807, used to describe William Scoresby's barrel crows nest platform. According to a popular naval legend, the term derives from the practice of Viking sailors, who carried crows or ravens in a cage secured to the top of the mast. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released, and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird's flight path because the crow invariably headed towards the nearest land. However, other naval scholars have found no evidence of the masthead crow cage and suggest the name was coined because Scoresby's lookout platform resembled a crow's nest in a tree.

Sometimes, the term is used metaphorically in reference to topmost structures in buildings, towers, etc.

Since the crow's nest is a point far away from the ship's centre of mass, any small movement of the ship is amplified and could lead to severe seasickness, even in accustomed sailors. Therefore, being sent to the crow's nest was also considered a punishment.

In classic railroad trains, the box-like structure above the caboose, the cupola, was also called the crow's nest. It served for observation of the whole train when in motion.

In hunting, a crow's nest is a blind-like structure where a hunter or a pair of hunters commit themselves to stalking game. A crow's nest is not a normal type of purchasable blind, but an improvised position, built by using locally discovered natural flora (tree branches, moss, snow (during winter) or sand (during summer), etc.). A crow's nest works in most environments and provides a good lookout point (hence the name) when built in an elevated position like a hillside or top of a hill.

Crow's Nest is a hill north of So Uk in Cheung Sha Wan of New Kowloon in Hong Kong. With height of 194 metres, it is located south of Eagle's Nest. Lung Cheung Road and Tai Po Road are at found at the south slope. On the east side of the hill, there are three private housing estates named Dynasty Height, Sky Lodge and Tropicana. In addition, there is some cultivation on her west slope.

Category:Mountains, peaks and hills of Hong Kong

Crow's Nest is a mountain along the west bank of the Hudson River in the Town of Highlands on the northern edge of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. US 9W passes just west of its summit and offers panoramic views of the Hudson River, the military academy's ski slope, and Constitution Island.

A small portion of the northern slopes are within Storm King State Park, but most of the mountain is on USMA property and thus generally off limits to the public (it is fenced off along Route 9W). There is a television relay tower located near the summit.