Trying to found out what the ledge is on side of Titanic

[Daniel Cox]

Hi..........When i look at pictures of the Titanic it shows a small wooden ledge on A deck right below the wheelhouses (both sides).This ledge looks folded up in some pictures and opened in others.It is on the side of the ship right under the railing on the head of the Titanic (sorry best way to describe the location).What was this item for..........many Thanks Dan

 

[Michael H. Standart]

If I recall correctly, this was a platform used to take depth soundings from in shallow waters.

 

[Daniel Cox]

Thanyou

 

[Dave Gittins]

Michael is correct. There's a famous photo by Francis Browne that shows Captain Smith looking down from the wing of the bridge. Below him you can see the little platform and the leadline, which has been used on the way into the anchorage and is not yet coiled up properly.

 

[Dan Cherry]

More appropriately, it was called the leadsman's platform. From what I've seen and heard, the port side one is still attached to the wreck in good shape, while the starboard one has all but fallen apart to nothing.

 

[Shane Worthy]

This is the Leadman's Platform. It is located on the outboard side of A-deck and was intact in 1986, but in 2001 had fallen apart and now hangs in pieces.
On the port side in 2001, the platfrom is perfectly perserved in it's stowed away position.
It did fold down to provide a place for a seaman to stand while he "heaved the lead" (performed soundings to determine the length of the water). When not in use, the platform, made of teak, was folded up and secured.
In the movie "Titanic", you can see what the platform looked like in 1995.
All Ahead Full!

 

[Mark Draper]

The port side leadsman platform is gone. The shell plating that held it crumbled away, leaving just the wooden cap rail and two stanctions below the foward davit. For any of you who say the 2004 National Geographic documentaries you can see the evidence. The starboard side, well there is no video or photos to show what that area looks like now to see how that area looks now.