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Mon 1 Nov, 2010 02:48 pm
in TV progs refer to the toilet on a ship as "the head"?
The term comes from the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit, the integral part of the hull to which the figurehead was fastened.
I googled this.
@edgarblythe,
Quote:The term comes from the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit, the integral part of the hull to which the figurehead was fastened.
Seems awfully dumb to me, Edgar. Don't piss into the wind, and all that. Could be even worse if they had to take a dump.
@JTT,
good explanation from wiki :
Quote: The term derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship. In sailing ships this position was sensible for two reasons. First, since most vessels of the era could not sail directly into the wind, [1] the winds came mostly across the rear of the ship [2] placing the head essentially downwind. Secondly, if placed somewhat above the water line, vents or slots cut near the floor level would allow normal wave action to wash out the facility
@hamburgboy,
before i hit the road, i always hit the head...
@Region Philbis,
So, the admiral and the general were doing a coin toss. The admiral called heads. The general took latrines.
@edgarblythe,
Just that it seemed dumb, Edgar, that's all. But Hamburgboy has provided an explanation that points to me being the dumb one.
@hamburgboy,
Still, almost every painting I've seen of sailing ships has the sails billowing forwards, while the flag is streaming proudly to the rear of the vessel.
@hamburgboy,
Besides that, toilets on the head make it easier to get flushed (directly) with (sea-)water.
edgar: did you make the experience as well that we/you couldn't use the toilets because someone had used to much toilet paper ... it was a hell of a job to get that out without divers .... [I remember that it was worse when we had ladies on board, on "family day"]
@Walter Hinteler,
I really don't recall a problem with that. We were constantly told we could only have so many sheets per day, but nobody gave me that for a reason.
I would like to point out that the term was used in the Royal Navy before the United States existed. It isn't exclusive to American sailors . . .
@Setanta,
this has become a " head " turning thread
Well, you'll have to excuse me . . . i need to use the head . . .
Found this from the Naval Historical Center
The use of the term "head" to refer to a ship's toilet dates to at least as early as 1708, when Woodes Rogers (English privateer and Governor of the Bahamas) used the word in his book, A Cruising Voyage Around the World. Another early usage is in Tobias Smollett's novel of travel and adventure, Roderick Random, published in 1748. "Head" in a nautical sense referring to the bow or fore part of a ship dates to 1485. The ship's toilet was typically placed at the head of the ship near the base of the bowsprit, where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.
Other maritime uses of the term refer to the top or forward part, such as the mast (top of the mast/masthead), and the top edge of a sail, as well as the compass direction in which the ship is pointing, etc.
@edgarblythe,
Quote:where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.
And did everyone have to hold it thru three day storms?
@JTT,
Quote: And did everyone have to hold it thru three day storms?
Emissions are never a problem in severe weather.
Don't know what the wooden ship sailors did. On a destroyer the head is a ways forward of mid ship and below deck.
@hamburgboy,
and the wiki article continues :
Quote: Only the captain had his private toilet near his quarters, below the poop deck.
and i say g'night all !
hbg
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