Accessing the head.

[Don Case]

I just finished the head on the Discovery1789 and noticed a problem. Since they added the foredeck it's about 6 ft. or more from the top of the bulwark to the deck of the head. Not a climb I'd like to make every time I went to the head. There doesn't seem to be any access on the drawings so would they have used a rope ladder? Maybe have to climb up on the bowsprit and heave themselves up from there? The sailor is 5'6". Any ideas?

 

[Uwek]

Was there a seat of ease?
I can not imagine, that the complete crew climbed one or twice per day going to toilette.
If there is nothing the seamen will climb.....
Just my opinion

 

[Don Case]

There are now but I have no proof that they really existed. I feel sure that they were there, I can't imagine George letting his men traipse through his cabin all day to use his facilities. Is there some rigging at the base of the bowsprit they could have climbed on?

 

[peter6172]

Generally speaking the sailor dangled his legs through the grate or over the side while his business end also rested over a gap in the timbers so he effectively rested his weight on his thighs.
As for getting too and from the 'seat' of endeavour you have to take into account the rigging the has yet to be applied.

 

[Bryian]

I pity the sailors that had to dangle by rope under this area to scrub down the planking. I think it was punishment to do that task.

 

[Luiz B. F. Grassi]

Don, in the research I did for the L'Unité ( 1794 / France ), several models in museums and books by J. Boudriot show this access by steps on both sides of bowsprit. These are the same types of steps used on the outer side to access the ship.

 

[Kurt Konrath]

If any of you have ever watched the great movie Master and Commander with Mel Gibson, then two scenes come to mind on facilities.

In one scene after a close cannon battle, you see where the Capitan's bench at his sitting booth was damaged and it took out the bucket under his hole in the bench.

The best scene you have to look carefully at, is when the ship is about to make the transit around the bottom of continent to head to the Pacific, in the snow as the camera is backing off for a long angle, you see one of the lads hanging in the bow rigging barring a full moon to the camera taking care of business.

 

[Don Case]

Don, in the research I did for the L'Unité ( 1794 / France ), several models in museums and books by J. Boudriot show this access by steps on both sides of bowsprit. These are the same types of steps used on the outer side to access the ship.

Thank you, Luiz. I'll see how that fits in. (looks in shop) Yup, that'll work.