Lazarette

A lazarette (also spelled lazaret) is a special area on a boat. It is often an area near or aft of the cockpit. The word is similar to and probably derived from Lazaretto.

The name derives from the biblical story of "Lazarus". On the old square-rigged sailing ships it was located in the bow of the ship. The original purpose was to store the bodies of important passengers or crew who had died on the voyage, (lesser seamen would be buried at sea). It was a large locker obviously, and was situated at the bow in order that the stench of rotting flesh was blown away from the vessel rather than across the decks. All that remains from these origins is that it is still generally the largest locker on a boat, and it's still known as the "Lazarette".