A '''forecastle council''' (commonly a '''foc'sle council''') was, in pirate lore, a meeting of the crew of a pirate ship in the absence of the captain.  Usually, such meetings were held to consider the captain's leadership; on many pirate vessels, the captain and quartermaster were elected by the crew and could be replaced by the crew.  The "forecastle" is the fortified area in the bow of a ship.