Seats of Ease

[TKAM]

Looking for some information on what on my Rattlesnake plans call "seats of ease". I do know what they are....ahem....used for, but on the plans all I see is a circle. I'd like to put some detail into this feature if in fact they are something more than just a round thingy to sit on while catching up on reading. Thank you in advance.

[Kevin]

7 minutes ago, TKAM said:

Looking for some information on what on my Rattlesnake plans call "seats of ease". I do know what they are....ahem....used for, but on the plans all I see is a circle. I'd like to put some detail into this feature if in fact they are something more than just a round thingy to sit on while catching up on reading. Thank you in advance.

normally they would be exactly as described, a hole directly into the water below

 

High ranking officers had their own private latrines attached to their cabins that overhung the sea. "Respectable" officers could use the officers' wardroom quarter gallery unless the captain thought an officer wasn't a "gentleman" and didn't deserve the privilege. Junior officers could use one of the 2 "roundhouses", enclosed cubicles at the bow of the ship, overhanging the water. Approximately 694 ratings and marine privates had to share 6 latrines or heads that were also at the bow of the ship and overhanging the water. These latrines were also simple benches with holes but they were completely exposed to the elements. Sailors who couldn't get to the heads made do with a bucket that was dumped over the side of the ship not facing the wind.

[Kevin]

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/3123-the-heads-in-the-head-and-the-aft/

 

https://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Simmons-MA1985.pdf

[Kevin]

that PDF file runs into 126 pages lol

[Louie da fly]

SJSoane has just finished the Bellona's seats of ease, and the build log includes some very good photos of them from the contemporary model of the Bellona - see 

 

[bruce d]

Since the subject is up, I have a question. What provisions did the smaller ships have? Would HM schooners and other vessels with crews of 30 to 50 have had such luxuries or should I be making a few extra buckets?

[Jim Lad]

Most small ships had no "facilities" at all - even for officers.  In the small sailing ships of the Australian coast, going to the toilet was known as "doing a lee sider".

 

John

[druxey]

Some smaller 18th century vessels had a small head situated against the inside of the forecastle bulwarks when the headwork was too small for this facility orthere was no headwork. 

[Kevin]

funny thing is, why were the needs of sailors not taken into consideration on ships, im sure even the designers and admiralty had the need to go at some time,  

[Dr PR]

On some late 1800s and early 1900s American schooners there were two heads, port and starboard, just aft of the bow. They were enclosed in boxes placed along the bulwarks. To use them the lid was raised, and closed when not in use. Some schooners had such boxes port and starboard at the fantail.

 

In at least one case (three masted lumber schooner Wawona) the heads were beneath a fo'c'sle deck above the main deck, and had a bulkhead at the aft end of the raised deck for some privacy. The attached photo shows one on the port side - the ship was in bad repair (and was scrapped) and the raised fo'c'sle deck is missing. But you can see one of the deck beams and the short bulkhead.

 

 

[Chuck Seiler]

59 minutes ago, Kevin said:

funny thing is, why were the needs of sailors not taken into consideration on ships, im sure even the designers and admiralty had the need to go at some time, 

Was that really all that extraordinary?  How did the common folk on land 'answer the call of nature'?

[mtaylor]

58 minutes ago, Kevin said:

funny thing is, why were the needs of sailors not taken into consideration on ships, im sure even the designers and admiralty had the need to go at some time,  

They probably never thought about it.   I do recall that on some ships there was a barrel shaped structure (not permanently mounted) that hung off the main chains for this purpose on smaller vessels.  Perhaps that what they used on Rattlesnake?