What should we know about before discussing what is in the boat?

A few definitions for common words and phrases might be helpful, such as hatches, heads, ladders and watertight doors.

A hatch is an opening through a deck that allows a sailor to move up or down using a ladder.

In the Navy, a head is a toilet. There are four heads on board, although only two are visible.

A ladder, in Navy speak, is a set of stairs or steps on a ship. Most of the original ladders on the Pampanito actually resemble the almost straight up and down ladders used around your home. However, these ladders were not as easily moved. Surface ships have ladders that look more like stairs. Those are similar to what was added in the torpedo rooms for visitors and old docents to enter and exit the Pampanito museum.

A watertight door is the opening between the compartments on a submarine The doors are very heavy since they are designed to withstand sea pressure. This is so they can prevent flooding from moving from one compartment to the next. At a depth of 400 feet, the outside water pressure is about 175 PSI. The weight needed to withstand that pressure helps to explain their small size. There are no watertight doors on the lower level. To go from one compartment to the next on that level, one would have to go up to the main level, move to the desired compartment, and then go back down.