Poop deck why is it called

TabbyTom Answer has 56 votes. Currently voted the best answer. I'd like to think that the derivation from ships' lavatories is true, but the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers derive the word from the Latin 'puppis', meaning the stern of a ship. Lavatories on ships are known as the 'Heads' , these were traditionally at the front end of the ship.

Kainantu Answer has 22 votes. I once sailed on the New Endeavour fpgjc. It had a large sized board with a hole in the centre to sit in, on either side of the bow to do the what comes naturally.

Imagine the saving of not having to use toilet paper in the middle of a storm with gigantic waves. You'd be flushed with pride! Get a shower at the same time. Take your soap. Wash your socks. Shrink your googlies. Because there were two holes you could have a chat with your mate as well! Read the newspaper! Do the crosswords! Captain James Cook was a genius!. As sails gave way to engines, the need for a functional poop deck decreased significantly.

Almost all of the vital command orders could be issued from a centralized bridge which overlooked the entire ship. Modern sailing ships may still have an elevated cabin in the aft area, but the poop deck is little more than a raised platform suitable for sunbathing or other recreational uses.

A regular InfoBloom contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ. Michael Pollick. Although the phrase sounds quite amusing in English, the poop deck of a ship has nothing to do with poop.

It was never used for any purpose relating to going to the bathroom but was a very important part of ship design. A poop deck is a short, high deck of a ship, located in the aft back of a ship.

It was traditionally used to provide a high point for observations and navigation. Many people wrongly assume that a poop deck is as the name suggests, is designed as some sort of a relief area.

It is commonly accepted that the name originated from the French word La Poupe, meaning stern but there are often other reasons given as to why this deck is referred to as the poop deck. Whether this is true in reality or just a coincidence is unclear. When a wave comes from behind and hits the ship in such a way that water comes over the stern, the ship is said to have been pooped.

The poop deck makes it harder to get pooped. Below is a deck plan of a ship showing the poop deck clearly marked on the aft. This ship is the C. Thayer, built in California in The poop deck area is relatively small, compared to the rest of the ship. The cabin located under the poop deck was occasionally referred to as the poop cabin.