Keyhole in a Storm

An unusual shape on the main deck of the WHOI-operated research vessel Knorr is called a “keyhole cut out,” and it once provided deck hands a position near the bow for retrieving buoys, moorings, and small boats using lines and a grappling hook. Today, more manueverable steering allows the ship to safely swing very close to surface instruments for retrievel from the center or rear of the vessel. While it may be obsolete, crew members point out a benefit of this unique, somewhat sheltering cove: It blocks a lot of spray during storms at sea.(Photo by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)