Doug Kanter wrote:
Well, sometimes it's a partial deck above a ship's main afterdeck. But
sometimes it's not. :-)

Nope..ALWAYS a raised afterdeck, high enough to prevent taking on water
over the stern that could, in a heavy following sea, swamp the boat and
even sink it...a condition--as you correctly noted--from the Latin,
referred to as being "pooped." Hence the name "poop deck" for a RAISED
afterdeck.

Care to try this one? What's the origin of the term "bridge" for a
vessel's command center...who invented it, and why?

--
Peggie
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Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html