The toilet was at the front, a hole in the deck, leading down onto the figurehead. They literally relieved themselves on top of a statue. That is the origin of the term!!!
Generally the hole(s) where you relieved yourself were off to the side a bit as the bowsprit was directly over the figurehead, but you are correct that you were effectively sitting directly above it. The head was up there because breaking waves would wash the skidmarks off the hull.
They literally did poop on the head. https://c8.alamy.com/comp/P914K5/figure-head-from-sailing-ship-in-the-tall-ships-regata-velas-latinoamerica-2018-P914K5.jpg
The toilet was at the front, a hole in the deck, leading down onto the figurehead. They literally relieved themselves on top of a statue. That is the origin of the term!!!
Generally the hole(s) where you relieved yourself were off to the side a bit as the bowsprit was directly over the figurehead, but you are correct that you were effectively sitting directly above it. The head was up there because breaking waves would wash the skidmarks off the hull.