Where did the crew use the restroom?
A. The common term for the restroom in today’s Navy is the “head”. The usage of this term dates back to early seafaring days when crewmembers would have to go to the “head” of the ship to do their “business.” There, they would climb through gun ports and onto a platform that had convenient holes in the deck, much like an outhouse. These holes went straight to the ocean. Wind moving from aft to forward would blow the “business” away from the ship, while waves crashing against the bow would take care of the rest. A becalmed ship was something of a problem in more ways than one.
