In naval architecture, a taffrail is the handrail around the open deck area toward the stern of a ship or boat.
Not all ships have an afterdeck or poop deck.
Sometimes taffrail refers to just the curved wooden top of the stern of a sailing man-of-war or East Indiaman ship.
[1] Sometimes taffrail refers to the complete deck area at the stern of a vessel.
[2][3][4][5] A taffrail should not be confused with a pushpit, which is a common name for the tubular protection rail running around the stern of a small yacht.