The quarterdeck was the nerve centre of the ship. It was from here, on the 21st October 1805, that Captain Hardy controlled Victory and Admiral Lord Nelson directed the British fleet during the battle of Trafalgar. This made it a prime target for enemy fire during a battle.
Number and Size of Guns:
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Number
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Size
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Weight
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Full crew
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Half crew
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12
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Short 12 pounders
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1.40 tons/ 1.57 tonnes
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10
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5
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On this Deck:
NELSON'S PLAQUE ~ CAPTAIN'S CABIN ~ WHEELBINNACLE ~ FIRE BUCKETS
Nelson's plaque: At about 1:15 pm Lord Nelson was pacing the quarterdeck of
Victory when a French sharpshooter shot him. A brass plaque now marks the spot where Nelson fell. The shot came from the mizzen top (platform) half way up the mizzenmast of the French 74 gun ship called the Rédoutable. Carried down to the orlop, Nelson died at about 4:30 pm that afternoon.
Captain's cabin: Found at the stern (back) of the quarterdeck, the captain's cabin provided a spacious and comfortable living area for the captain. Although not as large as the admiral's quarters, it was similarly divided into 3 areas: the day cabin, the dining cabin and the bed space. Located near the ship's 'command and control' centre, it meant that the captain could be summoned quickly if there was a problem that needed his attention. Like the admiral's cabin, the captains cabin could be 'packed away' enabling guns to be fired out of the windows.
Wheel: Sheltered under the poop deck, the wheel was used to steer the ship. The double wheel needed 4 men to operate it during calm weather, but if the weather became rough anything up to 8 men would be required to work the wheel. The thick rope that is wound round the wheel's central drum drops through the deck and continues down to the lower gun deck. There the rope is directed into the gunroom where it is attached to the tiller.
Binnacle: Placed in front of the wheel, the binnacle contains the ship's compasses which were used to aid the ship's navigation. With the two compasses the binnacle also contains a lantern that was used to illuminate the compasses at night. The copper chimney or flue on top of the binnacle allowed the smoke from the lantern to escape keeping the binnacle clean.
Fire buckets: Hanging along the edge of the poop deck and accessible from the quarterdeck are a row of fire buckets. Fire was always a serious risk on ships like the
Victory because of their wooden construction, the pitch used to seal the decks and the tar coated rigging. Made from leather they were used to either hold water or sand. The GR painted on the buckets stands for George Rex or King George III.
