Those Vulgar Tubes

Dedicated to "All those that go to sea", this book explores the vital yet historically censored subject of sanitary arrangements aboard ship in the age of sail, using a broad range of archaeological and iconographic evidence. In his introduction, the author discusses evidence of what methods early sailors used for relief. The following chapters focus on each century of pre-modern exploration and the developments of ship design at bow and stern where sailors were accommodated. Illustrated with detailed line drawings and photographs, including the "seats of ease" aboard the famous Vasa, this book is a study of a hitherto neglected aspect of life at sea in the age of sail, and should be of interest to nautical archaeologists, maritime historians and enthusiasts, and those with an interest in how sailors really lived.