Slop Chest

The slop chest on a ship refers to personal items that the crew can purchase while they’re onboard. This includes anything from clothing and boots to food such as instant noodles and candy to sim cards and beer, if it is allowed on that vessel.

A record of purchases are kept for each seafarer and payment is usually taken from their salary at the end of the voyage. The name comes from “slop” which was once slang for the cheap clothing that a rating (a skilled seafarer who works in a support role on a ship) in the navy could buy. The chest was, of course, the chest in which this clothing was stored.