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The head (or heads) is a ship
Ship

A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
's water closet or toilet
Toilet

A toilet is a plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the excretory system: urine and feces. Additionally, vomit and menstrual waste is sometimes disposed in toilets in western societies....
.

The term derives from sailing ship
Sailing ship

Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a full rigged ship of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant....
s in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow
Bow (ship)

The bow is a List of nautical terms that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway....
 of the ship. In sailing ships this position was sensible for two reasons: first, since most vessels of the era could not go to weather
Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat....
 particularly well, the winds came mostly from the quarter, placing the head essentially downwind; secondly, if placed somewhat above the water line, vents or slots cut near the floor level would allow normal wave action to wash out the facility.






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The head (or heads) is a ship
Ship

A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
's water closet or toilet
Toilet

A toilet is a plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the excretory system: urine and feces. Additionally, vomit and menstrual waste is sometimes disposed in toilets in western societies....
.

The term derives from sailing ship
Sailing ship

Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a full rigged ship of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant....
s in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow
Bow (ship)

The bow is a List of nautical terms that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway....
 of the ship. In sailing ships this position was sensible for two reasons: first, since most vessels of the era could not go to weather
Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat....
 particularly well, the winds came mostly from the quarter, placing the head essentially downwind; secondly, if placed somewhat above the water line, vents or slots cut near the floor level would allow normal wave action to wash out the facility. Only the captain had his private toilet near his quarters, below the poop deck
Poop deck

In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that constitutes the roof of a cabin built in the aft part of the superstructure of a ship. The fantail is an overhang at the extreme rear of the ship, aft of the poop deck and closer to level with the main deck....
.

In many modern boats, the heads look similar to a seated, land-type toilet, but have several technical differences. Rather than using a cistern
Cistern

A cistern is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Often cisterns are built to catch and store rainwater. They range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic metres ....
 and gravity to flush the waste away through a plumbing trap
Trap (plumbing)

In plumbing, a trap is a U-, S-, or J-shaped pipe located below or within a plumbing fixture. A U-shaped trap is also known as a U-bend....
 to a drain, there is a system of valve
Valve

A valve is a device that regulates the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe Piping and plumbing fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category....
s and pump
Pump

A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as gases, liquids or Slurry. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. One common misconception about pumps is the thought that they create pressure....
s that brings sea water into the toilet and pumps the waste out through the hull
Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in floating vessels as it provides the buoyancy that keeps the vessel from sinking....
. In small boats the pump is often hand operated. The cleaning mechanism is often easily blocked if too much toilet paper
Toilet paper

Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not....
 or other fibrous material is put down the pan.