A sternpost is the upright structural member or post at the aft end of a ship or a boat,[1][2] to which are attached the transoms and the rearmost part of the stern.[3]

Side elevation of a sailing ship with the sternpost highlighted

The sternpost may either be completely vertical or may be tilted or "raked" slightly aft.[4] It rests on or "fays to" the ship's keel.[1]

Traditionally, the rudder was suspended from the sternpost, and the propellers descended from it.[1][2] With changes in how these are positioned, in modern shipbuilding vessels are often not considered to have a sternpost.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kemp, Dear; Kemp, Peter, eds. (2006). "sternpost". The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199205684.
  2. ^ a b Hovgaard, William (1915). Structural Design of Warships. E. & F. N. Spon, Limited.
  3. ^ Ansted, A (1919). A Dictionary of Sea Terms.
  4. ^ Marett, P. R. (1872). Yachts and yacht building. E. & F. N. Spon.