Definitions for "Cratch"
Triangular front board on a narrowboat.
Originally the fodder store on horse-drawn boats, quite often used as the sleeping quarters for the boatman's children. Cratch is derived from the french word " creche", meaning cradle. On modern boats the term is used to describe a soft covered assembly over the forward deck.
The board vertically mounted just aft of the fore deck. This board is often secured at the top end by a plank which runs aft to the cabin roof. This cratch and plank act as the frames for a cratch cover which covers the forward well deck. The cratch board is usually fixed to the cratch upstand. Press button for drawing.