

The deck, being exposed to the weather and the sun at all times makes it more vulnerable to damage. The monkey deck must be derusted, painted and cleaned as per the ship’s schedule to prevent buildup of salt particles, dust and to reduce damage due to exposure to the weather. Maintenance of the monkey island is imperative owing to the sheer importance of the equipments that are housed there.

A periscope leads from down below the compass to the bridge to give the OOW the magnetic heading

SOLAS states that “ All ships irrespective of size shall have a properly adjusted standard magnetic compass or other means, independent of any power supply to determine the ship’s heading and display the reading at the main steering position”. One of the most important equipment carried on the monkey island, that is mandatory as per SOLAS carriage requirements, is the magnetic compass.
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Credits: IMO Collection/ Theory 1Īccording to this theory, some people believe that as the monkey island was located at the top of the main mast of sailing ships, sailors had to scramble up the ship’s rigging to free or repair the sails and rigging or to keep a lookout for icebergs, reefs, or land. There is no solid evidence or proof to back the origin of the term “monkey island” however, there are a few theories that believed to be the reason behind the usage.

Sailors would use this place to perform solar and stellar observations.ĭuring the ancient time, when ship used to have masts and sails, the monkey island was also supposed to be located about 3/4 th way up the main mast on few ships. It is also referred to as the flying bridge on top of a pilothouse or chart house, and also as the ship’s upper bridge. Technically, it is a deck located directly above the navigating bridge of the ship. The term “monkey island” refers to a place on the ship which is located at the top most accessible height.
