thumb|right|Navigational bridge of a [[cargo ship docked at Port Everglades, Florida]]

A bridge (also known as a command deck), or wheelhouse (also known as a pilothouse), is a room or platform of a ship, submarine, airship, or spaceship from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is under way, the bridge is manned by an officer of the watch aided usually by an able seaman acting as a lookout. During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge, often supported by an officer of the watch, an able seaman on the wheel and sometimes a pilot, if required.

History

thumb|The compass platform of a British [[destroyer in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War with central binnacle and the voice tubes to belowdecks]]

There are many terms for parts of a ship with functions similar to a bridge. Depending upon the design and layout of a ship, some of these terms may be interchangeable. Traditionally, sailing ships were commanded from the quarterdeck, aft of the mainmast, where the ship's wheel was located (as it was close to the rudder). A "wheelhouse" was a small enclosure around the ship's wheel on the quarterdeck of sailing ships. On modern ships the "wheelhouse" or "pilothouse" refers to the bridge of smaller motor vessels, such as tugs. is an open area on top of a surface ship that provides unobstructed views of the fore, aft, and the sides of a vessel.

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  • Video clips of (nautical) bridges aboard various ships