Shelter-Deck Ship

an oceangoing vessel with a continuous top deck above the main deck. Shelter-deck ships have covered openings in the top deck, in the transverse bulkheads beneath the top decks, or in the sides above the main deck. Watertight bulk heads extend only from the main deck down. The quarters between the top and main decks do not meet the standards for watertightness set by classification societies, and they are not included in the ship’s register tonnage. There are no shelter-deck ships of Soviet registry.