Friday, March 27, 2020

Shortages or not, be thankful for your toilet paper!


If you're running low on TP, be thankful you still have some, and don't have to use an old sailor's method.  The always interesting Old Salt Blog reports:

Sailors in the Age of Sail used tow-rags. What is a tow-rag? As can be seen in the video below, close to the ship’s head — the toilets in the bow or “head” of the ship — there was a long rope ending in a short rag that hung over the side into the water. After using the head, the sailor could then clean his backside with the wet rag then drop the rope back over the side. The rag would then be cleaned either by being literally towed by the ship under sail or to be washed by the action of wave and current if at anchor.

The word “tow” may refer to the process of the rope being towed underway but is more likely to be the type of hemp woven rag used at the end of the rope, referred to, even today, as tow.

There's more at the link.

The report also offers this video clip, showing the heads and tow-rag aboard a modern replica of the 17th-century Dutch sailing ship Batavia.





I'm glad I was never subjected to that during my (relatively few) seagoing days!




Peter

7 comments:

Magson said...

Saw this parody commercial posted the other day and found it amusing too -- http://www.bookwormroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Quilted-Northern-Rustic-Weave-Artisanal-Toilet-Paper.mp4

Old NFO said...

Yep, not the 'romance' of the sailing days, is it... LOL

Bibliotheca Servare said...

I'm imagining the salt...oh God...

Peter B said...

In my backpacking days we used to refer to toilet paper as "mountain money" because it was the only paper that was worth anything in the back country. When you're above timberline the field expedients are unpleasant to contemplate for soft Westerners.

Mark@Bismarck said...

Sure was a good idea to run and horde some TP so there wouldn't be any for the rest of the heard! Let the culling begin!

John said...

Shower sprayer while sitting on side of tub does it when no tp.

Will said...

I've been seeing lots of web ads for bidet seat adapters for toilets. I had installed a couple in the boss's home last year.

Only hassle is his requires electric power, and the bathroom outlets are on the opposite side of the countertop. An extension cord isn't to code for permanent installs, so I need to run some conduit under the cabinet to a box next to the toilet for a proper outlet.