Where's the head?

[Aaron]

Ok so where on board was the head? or was there one, did they just relieve themselves by going over the side or climbing out on the bow sprit, whats the deal? why do i want to know this? i have no idea.

Aaron

[Blackfoot]

If ye need t' be knowin' Mr. Aaron, th' ships hade consisted o' a plank wi' a hole in 't which extended fore from th' bow; a jack perched on 't an' rode 't like a seesaw. 't be dangerous wi' th' risk o' fallin' into th' sea, so ye would be havin' t' be careful.

[Aaron]

Thankye kindly Mr Blackfoot, i have many an odd and some not so odd questions for the more experienced crew, is it ok if i post them here at capn twills?

Aaron

[Fox]

This is the place fo 'em Aaron.

There different forms of head, depending on the size of ship. In its truest sense the ship's "head" is the pointy bit at the front (the bow, or fore is the general forward area), and this was the area retired to by seamen answering the call of nature - hence the term "head" was applied to ship-board toilets.

I believe the earliest ship known to have had any kind of arrangement specifically for the lavatarians was the Prince Royal, launched in 1610. Prior to that time seamen perched on the gunwhale. Officers didn't mess with the men (lol), they would generally use the stern, particularly if the ship had a stern gallery for their exercise.

From then on smaller ships retained the older method - there just wasn't room for purpose built toilets. Larger ships were fitted with seats inboard with holes in for the men to use. HMS Victory, for example, has a set of seats in the head area. I don't recall ever having come across a plank outboard.

During the 16th and 17th centuries at least the first man to lie or swear on a Monday was proclaimed the ship's "liar" for the week. His job was to clean the sh*t off the side of the ship below the head.

[StrangeBayPirate]

Would thar not be the use of chamber pots below decks fer when storms might be a blowin? Wouldn't want to be "pissin in the wind" or the likes. Seems a ship might jus 'ave "a pot ta piss in" fer stormy days, aye.

Steven St'arr

[Captain Jim-sib]

In modeling, I've considered painting on the "racing stripe" at the bow that occurs from meals derrived from the slush fund. Kinda like seeing a pickup truck driver's side door owned by a tobacco chewer.

Best regards

[Red Maria]

There's a book on this subject:

Those vulgar tubes : external sanitary accommodations aboard European ships of the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries /by Joe J. Simmons III

College Station : Texas A&M University Press ; London : Chatham Pub., c1998, c1997 ISBN 0890967881 (pbk. : alk. paper)

If you have a copy of the deluxe DVD on Master & Commander/The Farside of the World there is a deleted scene showing a seaman using the seat of ease while the HMS Surprise is in the Antartic Ocean. Brrrrrr! So I guess ordinary seaman didn't have the comfort of a chamber pot below decks.

[Dorian Lasseter]

Hmmm.... I believe the common tar would use a gun bucket if the weather were too 'eavy ta be goin' ta th' head... just don't knock it over!

[Pirate Petee]

Down the hall, two doors on the right.

Oh man I crack myself up.

[Fox]

Ned Ward on sailors (1706)

his first Labour in a morning is to hawl open his eye-lids, for it costs him many a rub with his paws, before he can make his top-lights to shine clearly: After this and a few hearty Yawns, he crawls up on deck to the piss-dale, where, while he manages his whip-staff with one hand, he scratches his poop with the other, and gaping all the while aloft at the vane

[Red Maria]

Great Ed!

[Bright]

Check this out

http://www.qaronline.org/techSeries/QAR-B-09-02.pdf

[MarkG]

This is the place fo 'em Aaron.

There different forms of head, depending on the size of ship. In its truest sense the ship's "head" is the pointy bit at the front (the bow, or fore is the general forward area), and this was the area retired to by seamen answering the call of nature - hence the term "head" was applied to ship-board toilets.

I believe the earliest ship known to have had any kind of arrangement specifically for the lavatarians was the Prince Royal, launched in 1610. Prior to that time seamen perched on the gunwhale. Officers didn't mess with the men (lol), they would generally use the stern, particularly if the ship had a stern gallery for their exercise.

From then on smaller ships retained the older method - there just wasn't room for purpose built toilets. Larger ships were fitted with seats inboard with holes in for the men to use. HMS Victory, for example, has a set of seats in the head area. I don't recall ever having come across a plank outboard.

During the 16th and 17th centuries at least the first man to lie or swear on a Monday was proclaimed the ship's "liar" for the week. His job was to clean the sh*t off the side of the ship below the head.

And of course you did your business at the pointy end since the win was coming from the stern. This kept you and your ship as clean as possible. It also carried away the stink if you missed.

Mark

[Tartan Jack]

Location depended on ship size.

In period . . .

Larger ships had gratings on the bow, which was so regularly washed by the surf/waves that it didn't have much time to stain.

Based on what I've picked up, the smaller boats and craft (like ketches, sloops, and so forth) did not have a grating on the bow and normally used the planks on the side where the shrouds were lashed around to hull itself. Of course, they used the downwind side.

That could only be done on fairly calm seas.

In the period, chamberpots were extremely common, everywhere. As such, they wouldn't be unknown to the sailors and were likely in use on ship. Cleaning would have been simply a matter of dumping overboard.

No proof on that, but not an extreme postulation.

Our problem is that we aren't used to either.

[MarkG]

Location depended on ship size.

In period . . .

Larger ships had gratings on the bow, which was so regularly washed by the surf/waves that it didn't have much time to stain.

Based on what I've picked up, the smaller boats and craft (like ketches, sloops, and so forth) did not have a grating on the bow and normally used the planks on the side where the shrouds were lashed around to hull itself. Of course, they used the downwind side.

That could only be done on fairly calm seas.

In the period, chamberpots were extremely common, everywhere. As such, they wouldn't be unknown to the sailors and were likely in use on ship. Cleaning would have been simply a matter of dumping overboard.

No proof on that, but not an extreme postulation.

Our problem is that we aren't used to either.

According to Six Galleons for the King of Spain, only larger ships had a seat of comfort - a plank with a hole in it. On smaller ships you used the railing and it was up to you not to fall. This was written about ships in the early 17th century but I doubt that it changed much over the next century. Space would be at a premium on small ships so it would be hard to justify space for sanitary activities.

I wonder if they would use a bucket instead of a chamber pot at least common sailors? Buckets don't break in rough seas.

[Tartan Jack]

Thanks for the reference on the "seat of comfort."

As for the bucket, that sounds perfectly reasonable. They'd likely use some form of "pot" for their business, as that is what was done on land too during the period. Most homes and building had little to no facilities built in until later.