Companion or ladderway

Don Case

Don Case

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I'm looking at the drawing of the QD of the Discovery1789. There is two openings side by each, one labeled companion and the other is a ladderway. What is the difference? I kinda thought they were the same thing. I will post a picture if necessary but it's more work that I think is necessary for this question :) :)
 
G'day Don, I think a companion is a raised type of skylight that allows light to the deck below but no access, whereas a companion way or ladder way allows access to the deck below, hope this helps,
Best regards John,
 
In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in sailboats, hatch boards which fit in grooves in the companionway frame. What is confusing is referring to the ladder itself as the companionway when the term normally refers to the covered hatchway. On all ships any stair is referred to as a ladder. Thus the companionway would also include a ladder but a ladder does not need to include a companionway. Ladders, for example, can be accessed from a grated hatch by lifting the grating away. An uncovered hatchway ladder is not a companionway. Want even more confusion? The term may be more broadly used to describe any ladder between decks. So, it is possible as perhaps described on your model, to have a covered companionway structure with a ladder and next to it (bow to stern alignment) a hatch ladderway.
 
But in this case the companion must be just the skylight/cover/grating with no stairs/ladder. There would be no point in having two stairs/ladders beside each other. Or am I still confused?
 
Don Case said:
But in this case the companion must be just the skylight/cover/grating with no stairs/ladder. There would be no point in having two stairs/ladders beside each other. Or am I still confused?
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I would say that the companionway maintained the ladder while the hatchway ladder could be more easily stowed away…otherwise the companionway becomes a “skylight.”
 
G'day Don, as we have said before a Companion is a raised and windowed framework that lets light to the deck below but has no access to the deck below, a ladder way is just a hatch in the deck with a ladder giving access to the deck below, this is what you have on your plan.

However if you have a ladder with a Companion above the ladder and the companion has access to the ladder by some sort of entrance door then this becomes a Companion way,

hope this makes sense,

best regards John.
 
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