A permanent covering over a compartment of hull of a ship. It is the horizontal structure that forms the roof of the hull. It strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface. On a whaleship, the deck held many of the items necessary to capture and process the whales, including the whaleboats and tryworks. This photo was taken on the whaler Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport. It was taken from the rigging, looking down at the deck by the tryworks.