Coaming is any vertical surface on a
ship
A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
designed to deflect or prevent entry of water. It usually consists of a raised section of deck plating around an opening, such as a
cargo hatch. Coamings also provide a frame onto which to fit a hatch cover.
The protective metal sheeting or plating protecting against water entry into
ventilation shaft
In subterranean civil engineering, ventilation shafts, also known as airshafts or vent shafts, are vertical passages used in mines and tunnels to move fresh air underground, and to remove stale air.
In architecture, an airshaft, also known ...
s in large ships is called a coaming as it fulfills the same water-deflection purpose.
The term was borrowed by the
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
industry to refer to a low rim around the opening for an unenclosed cockpit.
The origin of the term is unknown.
''Coaming'' also refers to the raised structure around the cockpit of a
kayak
]
A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...
.
References
External links
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 46
Watercraft components
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