Boatswain
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- "Bosun" redirects here. For other uses, see Boatswain (disambiguation). For the class of subatomic particles, see Boson.
A boatswain, often (at least since 1868) phonetically spelled and pronounced bosun, is a warrant officer or petty officer who is foreman of a ship's crew and is sometimes also third or fourth mate.
[edit] History
The word boatswain, recorded in English since the mid fifteenth century, is derived from from late Old English batswegen, from bat ("boat") + Old Norse sveinn ("swain"), meaning a young man, a follower, retainer or servant—compare mate.
Originally, on board a sailing ship such as a man-of-war or a galleon, the boatswain was in charge of a ship's anchors, cordage, colors, deck crew and the ship's boats, and would also be in charge of the rigging while the ship was in dock; with steam and further mechanisation, the technical tasks have been modernized. It remains his duty to summon the crew to work by a whistle known as boatswain's pipe.
In the Royal Navy the rank of boatswaine was called "Sailing master." This dates back to medieval times. When an army took control of a ship, the army unit's captain became captain of the ship. However, being a military man he could not sail so the running of the ship was left to her original captain who was dubbed "Sailing master." When the Royal Navy adopted a standard captain rank of its own, the rank of sailing master became official and the master was in charge of all the duties of the boatswaine mentioned above as well as being in charge of storing provisions in the hold as they affected the ship's trim.
In the Royal Navy the task fell to the quartermasters and quartermaster's mates to punish unruly seamen. This was done using either a rattan boatswain's cane on the boys or with a rope's end on the adult sailors. Punishment could lawfully be inflicted on an officer's instruction or at his own will, or more formally on deck on captain's or court martial's orders; in the latter case either birching or use of the cat o' nine tails would have been typical. In a large crew he could delegate this to one or more boatswain's mate(s), who might alternate after each dozen lashes.
Onboard U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels, boatswain's mates comprise and lead the deck department. There is no rate of Boatswain, only Boatswain's Mates (BM) in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard. Whereas, on board merchant vessels, the boatswain is the foreman of the crew, and is sometimes also the third or fourth mate.
In the realm of literature, among the more famous boatswain characters is Bill Bobstay, the "bos'un" in Gilbert and Sullivan's musical comedy, H.M.S. Pinafore which premiered in London in 1878. Another is Smee from Peter Pan. Lord Byron's newfoundland dog was called Boatswain, he famously nursed him through to his death despite the dog having rabies. Byron had a monument made at his home in Newstead Abbey which is said to be larger than his own.
By tradition and superstition, only the boatswain is allowed to whistle while on board, lest an unwitting sailor "whistle up the wind." Hence the phrase, "Only fools and boatswains..."
The word bosun also refers to a type of dinghy.
A boatswain's chair is a type of harness that allows a crewmember (called a rigging monkey) to climb into the rigging and work on the sails or halyards safely. The boatswain's chair was tied off to an available halyard, which is tended by another crewmember as the work is completed, ensuring that any misstep by the rigging monkey does not result in a fall to the decks of the boat.
Compare: Bootsmann
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources and references
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Etymology on line
- CorPun website on corporal punishments
| Typical Shipping Occupations |  |
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| ←Junior Unlicensed |
Senior→ Licensed |
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| Deck: | Ordinary Seaman | Able Seaman | Boatswain • Carpenter | 3rd Mate • 2nd Mate • Chief Mate | Captain • Pilot |
| Engine: | Wiper • Oiler | QMED | Electrician | 3rd Engr • 2nd Engr • 1st Engr | Chief Engineer |
| Steward: | Steward's Assistant | Chief Cook | Chief Steward | Purser | |
