How and where do sailors on US Navy ships have sex with each other?
Nate Fore, Military Officer
As previously noted, nearly anywhere. As an officer on board a US Navy ship, I had the unfortunate experience of stumbling into individuals violating the prohibition of SOTS (sex on the ship) at least a few times. It is a blanket prohibition to sailors deployed together on a ship at sea, regardless of marital status, what with the associated risks of pregnancy, poor hygiene, and other medical issues, as well as creating difficult working environments. As with anything remotely frowned upon, though, sailors get extremely creative in not getting caught, and it happens frequently. One of the more typical locales are the fan rooms, which are spaces of varying sizes that are usually closed off by a dogged hatch that contain blower equipment for the ventilation systems, usually rarely accessed except for maintenance and with lots of noise to cover up any suspicious sounds. On a carrier at least, the spaces outside the skin of the ship such as the covered catwalks and the nooks and crannies off the fantail were rather typical locations for “une liason risquée.” It doesn't stop there, though; there are dozens of stories and reports of people hooking up in places as unexpected as large aircraft intakes (don’t get me started on the danger of that) or in parked helicopters.
Less typical were in berthings themselve (less typical, not unheard of). The racks are tiny and privacy is non-existent, with random inspections by LPOs, Chiefs, and Officers, and the constant presence of your shipmates increasing the likelihood of discovery and punishment.
Rob Turnbull, worked at United States Navy
Some folks here have answered that it's against regulations. Of course it is, which is why people have to find their ”spot”, known only to them.
One extreme case I recall from my time onboard USS Kitty Hawk in 1999 was when my chief came to me after my watch at 0200 and said that he was taking a leak in the male head and thought he saw a woman walk by him. By the time he finished and zipped up she was gone. He looked around but found nothing. He asked me to go back to the head and help him look. He thought he might be hallucinating.
We eventually found her. She and a male sailor had converted an old fan room (the Kitty Hawk was commissioned in 1960 and there were many forgotten spots) behind one if the stalls into an apartment of sorts. They had all of their uniforms and civilian clothing hanging up on some line, they had a mattress with sheets on it, a snack area, wine, a small table, and other small things that make a place a home. They were way beyond sneaking in a hump.
Of course they were in some hot water, but I personally didn't fault them. Sailors stationed onboard ship, especially young and lower ranking, lack for things their peers in other services take for granted, like privacy, and a place that is just theirs. Oftentimes they are crammed into large and heavily occupied berthing spaces and everything they own has to fit in “coffin locker” and maybe one other small space. Their berthing area is subject to inspection at anytime and while underway there is never a time when it's completely quiet or empty.
Allen Inks, former Electrician's Mate First Class
Well , I always…., Uh, wait, you asked about with Each Other. Nevermind. Never had sex with an other on a Navy Ship or Boat.
I will say that sailors are very resourceful. I heard of an ELT who successfully produced wine all patrol long on the USS Ethan Allen. The Ethan Allen was the lead boat in the SSBN 608 class boats, and had been in service for over 20 years when I was aboard. It looked to me like every single cubic inch of space inside that boad had been filled with additional equipment squeezed in over the years since launch…if nothing else, they would put in a teenie tiny storage locker. But that crafty individual found someplace to ferment wine in a yellow polyethylene bottle (I think 5 gallon size??) that is supposed to be used to store radioactive waste. Yellow. Would really stand out almost anywhere. Easy to see. Alarming if seen almost anywhere, since we all knew what yellow poly bottles meant (radioactive). But that sneaky bastard managed to find somewhere in that tightly packed sub to hide this highly visible bottle of contraband for months. If he could do that, he could probably find some space somewhere for 15 minutes of R&R with a shipmate.
Ed Alca, former SFIDC at United States Navy (1996-2016)
An US Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer is 505 feet long and 66 feet wide. It's got many many compartments and spaces. Some of them are never manned. During specific times (late at night for example) some areas of the ship are void of people for hrs.
It's prohibited but, people do it anyway. There are approx. 250 people on board, many young men and women who at one point or another will develop feelings for each other. Now don't get it twisted, it's not a “love boat” type of situation but there is always a handful of couples who tend to be pretty smart in not getting caught.
If you're a senior person, or have access to locking a space (room), your chances of hosting for some impromptu belly bumping increase.
Now imagine how many spaces could there be in an aircraft carrier (1092 feet in length, 252 feet in width)?
It was rare to get caught in a destroyer but some things are found out. Most, like most sailors, are professionals and understand that they shouldn't be doing those things.
Kevin McAllister, 22 years of service in US Navy on a variety of Submarines
What a typically poorly thought out and composed question. Sailors being human and isolated on ships for an extended period of time will find ways and places to have sex, either while onboard the ship or while in port. I have little to none surface Navy experience. All of my experience is on submarines and in my time none were coed. Conversely even if the crews had been coed any sexual encounter would have been categorized as exhibitionism as there is literally zero privacy on a submarine. You have no space to call your own and after several weeks of iffy hygiene due to limited water for showers or laundry, the thought of getting close enough to someone to have sex is not much of a turn on. Combine that with a continual feeling of tiredness due to lack of sleep and foul air, the idea of sex loses a lot of its luster. Most would prefer a decent shower with hot water and a stretch of sleep longer than 6 hours. Think of sub sailors as dirty, stinking, sleep deprived monks (while at sea). We more than make up for it while in port with inventive debauchery as the theme of the day.
Michael Lyons, former Electronic Warfare at United States Navy (1996-2004)
Any place they can find. On the USS Sacramento (AOE-1), I was walking out of berthing after doing wake ups and saw a female ET, buck naked with a nice body, getting out of the rack of an OS. Barely enough room to sleep let alone have sex, but I guess it worked. Also had a pair of OS’s going at it in the motor generator room. Didn’t see this one, but was told if I wanted to see, or maybe join, to run down there. She was a very good looking OS, but I never was interested in having sex with those I stood watch with. Of course, heard many other stories, including female on female, both married to guys. During six plus long deployments, if there’s a will, there’s a way.
Chuck Daniel, worked at United States Navy (1988-2009)
I was on a LHA for a few years and the easiest place for some privacy was the spaces used by the embarked Mariners when they weren't embarked. Usually behind the Flag Bridge. Lots of empty spaces there.
JO's staterooms were another popular choice. I was walking around Officers country getting a message signed. My first stop was my Division Officers room. I heard her voice before knocking on the door so I knew she was in the room. When she opened the door it was pretty obvious what was going on between her and another female JO. She signed the tree and never looked at the message. We had watch together that night and I don't think she ever looked at me for the 4 hours she was on watch. She was nice and very happy for my discretion even bought me a beer in the next port we visited.
In port was where most of the hookups took place while on deployment. And that happens a lot more than anybody would believe.
Mark Hendershot, former U.S.Navy Personnelman Second Class P.O. (1997-2007)
Lol, but having sex with a fellow Sailor can be a rather dicey situation! I had more than a few opportunities to do so but only once did I partake in such activity, and I largely avoided that because I wasn’t the least bit interested in torpedoing my Navy career, especially when I was first starting out as a Sailor. The risks simply were not worth it for me because I had worked far to hard to get to that point. Messing around with a fellow Sailor can almost NEVER be kept on the down-low, as somehow it will ALWAYS become apparent to your fellow shipmates that something is/was going on between the two of you! Yes it happens (a lot), but really it is best to be avoided (unless it’s shore duty, and even then it’s still a dicey scenario!)
Barry Barlow, former Aircraft Engine Tech (AD, Navy, 20 Years) at United States Navy (1976-1996)
The people on ship are not to have sex on ship, but whenever you have men and women together some will gind a way. The ship has many nooks where 2 people could have sex. Even married people do not sleep together but must wait until the ship pulls into port and they get a hotel room. Enlisted people on ships do not have private room but sleep in a berthimg area with with many people. You have no assigned private area on a ship, but some poeple find a place. GOD BLESS THE YOUNG.
Barbara Matthews, I served in the National Guard and Navy.
To be honest any nook or cranny they can find. Sometimes it will be in life boats, gear lockers, or some other less than sanitary place they can find. I guess as the old saying goes “where there's a will, there's a way”.
I have heard rumor that a particular male Corpsman had a make out spot in the aft BDS. At least there was an exam table in there. He was never officially caught. He was young somewhat attractive and sly. If it was true he knew how to get away with it. No, I never went in there with him.
https://www.quora.com/How-and-where-do- ... each-other