The orlop is the lowest deck in a ship (except for very old ships), immediately above the hold. It is the deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line.[1]
Etymology
The word derives from the Dutch overloop from the verb overlopen ("to run over, extend").[2]
Utilisation
The orlop would be used to store various supplies and equipment, such as cordage and blocks utilised around the ship, and it would also house the warrant officers' workrooms. The brig, used to hold prisoners, would be located near the aft.[3]
During maritime combat, injured sailors would be moved to the orlop deck to be treated in the surgeons' cockpit, located towards the stern.[4] As it was beneath the water line, it was safer from enemy cannon fire.
References
- John Keegan. The Price of Admiralty Viking, 1989^
- "Orlop" from Shorter Oxford English Dictionary^
- Pirates & Privateers: the History of Maritime Piracy - Wooden Sailing Ships archive.wikiwix.com, retrieved 2025-06-19^