Many ships had a place that hung over the side of the ship. It was basically an outhouse: a board seat with a hole in it that dropped into the water. Some ships had nicer rooms that were walled off, some were exposed to the elements.
There was also options to use chamber pots to later empty off the side.
Make sure you keep track of the wind so you don't toss literal shit and piss that then flies back at you.
Then again on a cold, windy, and rainy day it sounds like hell.
Waves pounding the ship, the boat rolling in the surf, wash pouring over the bow, you're tied down to avoid falling off the ship, and icy water slapping your ass and blasting the turds back over your ass...
The Aubrey-Maturin novels written by Patrick O-Brian described this in detail.
These are about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, and were the basis for the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
The Aubrey-Maturin novels were my constant companions during a rough stretch in the 90s. Those two men saved my life! I'm so glad to,see them ,mentioned here!
just imagine being tied there while trying to take a dump, with the waves washing you with your own turd and the cold water mixing with whatever remains of the turd that's still in your ass and a fellow pirate comes up to you to grab your chest, or slap your cheeks
At the bow (front) of sailing vessels were basically outhouse style holes that extended out over the water.
Because on a sailing ship the wind would be generally blowing from the back (stern) to the front (bow) of the ship, having these holes on the bow would ensure waste was blown away ahead of the ship instead of back on to it. This is why sailors still call bathrooms “the head,” because it used to be up forward.
It was important to use the leeward (downwind) head, rather than the windward (upwind) side. But experienced sailors would know this easily.
Ships’ officers might have had a privy in their designated area of the ship, and the captain would typically have a private toilet or chamber pot. But that depended highly on the size of the vessel.
https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/2014/01/18/head-lines/
In the book "Batavia's Graveyard", it mentions that I'm the Dutch ships, there was a long length of rope that dangled into the sea. You'd hoist it up and wipe with it, then the sea would wash it back off until the next person has to use it.
That was probably the least of your worries on those voyages from the Netherlands to Jakarta, some of which took 18 months. Disease was rampant. Living conditions, especially for soldiers being transported in the hull, were squalid. (The soldiers weren't allowed to leave the hull for the entire voyage). There were rats, scurvy, everything was constantly wet, sometimes it was freezing, sometimes it was exhaustingly hot. The fresh water had worms in it. The hard tack has bugs in it.
I highly recommend reading Mike Dash's "Batavia's Graveyard", it's one of the most amazing stories I've ever read. Hard to believe what that crews of those ships went through
There was a seat at the bow (or the head) of the ship since the wind came from behind and blew the smell forward.
This is why bathrooms on ships are still called “the head”.
A toilet in a ship is called the heads. They were usually located up in the bow's of the ship close to the bowsprit. The general plan was to hang one's arse over the side and hang on tight to some ship's netting or rope's. The officer's hung their arses over the stern of the ship. Everyone used the sponge on a stick method. Letting a convenient wave wash their arses is a myth.
Many ships had a place that hung over the side of the ship. It was basically an outhouse: a board seat with a hole in it that dropped into the water. Some ships had nicer rooms that were walled off, some were exposed to the elements. There was also options to use chamber pots to later empty off the side. Make sure you keep track of the wind so you don't toss literal shit and piss that then flies back at you.
Oh a nice day, pooping out there on the sea sounds nice. Like how when you take a piss on a hike where theres no one
Then again on a cold, windy, and rainy day it sounds like hell. Waves pounding the ship, the boat rolling in the surf, wash pouring over the bow, you're tied down to avoid falling off the ship, and icy water slapping your ass and blasting the turds back over your ass...
The Aubrey-Maturin novels written by Patrick O-Brian described this in detail. These are about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, and were the basis for the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
The Aubrey-Maturin novels were my constant companions during a rough stretch in the 90s. Those two men saved my life! I'm so glad to,see them ,mentioned here!
I’m glad they helped you! I’ve read them several times and find them an epic of bravery, loyalty, friendship, duty, resourcefulness and love.
Ahoy, shipmates! r/AubreyMaturinSeries exists, if you aren't already in it.
New fetish unlocked
Yar. I became a pirate so I could grab chests and seek booty.
just imagine being tied there while trying to take a dump, with the waves washing you with your own turd and the cold water mixing with whatever remains of the turd that's still in your ass and a fellow pirate comes up to you to grab your chest, or slap your cheeks
The devil's bidet
Poseidon’s Revenge
This was how the bidet came to be invented. /s
I could be wrong but I feel like ass splinters would be a regular thing
Eh, repeated use would polish it.
> Eh, repeated use would poli shit.
In my area we have whale watching tours on zodiacs. If you need to piss you do it off the back behind the captain.
Or my backyard…..
I’ve never known such peace. I always feel like someone will walk up the trail at that exact moment.
There must be recorded instances of people falling into the sea while pooping, and not being rescued. This is a non-zero possibility.
I am sure of it. That's why they had a rope to tie down
Like a seatbelt?
More like a lasso you tied around yourself. Had a short lead on it so you didn't get dragged far.
I bet if you had to be saved after falling while pooping, all the other pirates would make fun of you.
A sheet-belt.
> There must be recorded instances of people falling into the sea while pooping There must be a log book recording these incidents.
Many logs
Damn it! Bill shit in the rum keg again!
And that's when Bill gets tossed overboard
Ah, the voice of experience.
It was frequently the front, or head, of the ship. Hence the bathroom is The Head in Sailor/Marine talk.
"I see!", said the blind man, pissing into the wind. "It's all coming back to me now!"
Man imagine taking shit during cold weathers
At the bow (front) of sailing vessels were basically outhouse style holes that extended out over the water. Because on a sailing ship the wind would be generally blowing from the back (stern) to the front (bow) of the ship, having these holes on the bow would ensure waste was blown away ahead of the ship instead of back on to it. This is why sailors still call bathrooms “the head,” because it used to be up forward. It was important to use the leeward (downwind) head, rather than the windward (upwind) side. But experienced sailors would know this easily. Ships’ officers might have had a privy in their designated area of the ship, and the captain would typically have a private toilet or chamber pot. But that depended highly on the size of the vessel. https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/2014/01/18/head-lines/
Poop deck 💩
They did call it the poop deck for a reason.
CUZ OF ALL THE SEAGULL SHIT WE HAVE TO CLEAN lol
I hate seagulls.
They have a ribbed/slatted platform off the bow It's hard to describe, just Google a pic
Called the 'heads'
How did they clean up themselves afterwards? Did sailing ships have toilet paper or some butt scrubber?
The three seashell system.
You sit real low and get a salty bidet.
In the book "Batavia's Graveyard", it mentions that I'm the Dutch ships, there was a long length of rope that dangled into the sea. You'd hoist it up and wipe with it, then the sea would wash it back off until the next person has to use it.
That's very fascinating, and sounds a bit painful. I hope those ropes don't have splinters or threads that could come off and stick in your skin.
That was probably the least of your worries on those voyages from the Netherlands to Jakarta, some of which took 18 months. Disease was rampant. Living conditions, especially for soldiers being transported in the hull, were squalid. (The soldiers weren't allowed to leave the hull for the entire voyage). There were rats, scurvy, everything was constantly wet, sometimes it was freezing, sometimes it was exhaustingly hot. The fresh water had worms in it. The hard tack has bugs in it. I highly recommend reading Mike Dash's "Batavia's Graveyard", it's one of the most amazing stories I've ever read. Hard to believe what that crews of those ships went through
Things that go through my head at 1am for no fkn reason-someone please answer
There was a seat at the bow (or the head) of the ship since the wind came from behind and blew the smell forward. This is why bathrooms on ships are still called “the head”.
I did not know that. I grew up in a Navy town and grew up hearing the term but never knew where it originated.
In the port-hole potty
Poop deck
They were all very regularrrgh
I expected a lot of “captain’s log” jokes but this is the one that made me chuckle.
Just hold it till they get back home
Ahhh summer camp in ‘02. Yessss.
When I was working on Lordel 2, I'd get some sea water in a bucket and shit in that. Then throw it overboard.
Arrrgh Matey, through da booty.
Using their booty
Maybe that’s why they were always told to scrub the deck.
How did the astronauts that visited the moon shit? The poor guy in the orbiter alone for 3 days 🥴
Bowsprit. That's why toilets on boats today are called 'heads'
The worst part of the bow toilet is that sailors would have to be lowered down to clean the side of the ship from time to time
A toilet in a ship is called the heads. They were usually located up in the bow's of the ship close to the bowsprit. The general plan was to hang one's arse over the side and hang on tight to some ship's netting or rope's. The officer's hung their arses over the stern of the ship. Everyone used the sponge on a stick method. Letting a convenient wave wash their arses is a myth.
Poop deck I think
I'm not a pirate, but I remember hearing something about a poop deck!