He or she is considered to be the foreman of the ship's crew, because he or she issues orders to the deck crew. However, there are many a Bosun’s out there that will correct you on calling the actual instrument a whistle. It is more often referred to as a Bosun’s Call or a Bosun’s Pipe. In nautical terms, the boatswain's whistle or bosun's whistle was a small whistle that was used aboard old sailing ships, usually to gain the attention of the crew. In the main title of this blog post, I have called it the Bosun’s Whistle Lanyard Knot. His design, was improved as the 'Acme Thunderer', the first ever pea whistle, which remains the most used whistle in the world; for train guards, dog handlers and police officers. The Boatswain/Bosun is a member of the deck department, and that is where most of his work lies. Playing a boatswain's call involves holding the instrument correctly, learning to play the device's two notes and three tones, and learning specific commands. Bosun (or Bo'sun or Boson) whistle derives its name from 'boatswain', a warrant officer on a warship, or a petty officer on a merchant vessel, in charge of rigging, anchors, cables, etc. Bow : The front of the boat . They report to the First Lieutenant. Trumpet or Bugle. Bosun's Chair: A seat, usually made of canvas, used to hoist a person up the mast. It's almost if somebody were yelling them, but each way it's blown (by covering the hole on the top) gives a command, either to wake up the crew, general quarters, or to get the crew’s attention. The boatswain whistle is used for giving commands. A bosun is an officer on a ship who is responsible for the rigging, anchors, cables, sails, and other items that are used to keep a ship running smoothly. His whistles are still used by many forces worldwide. Such devices were used aboard starships during the 23rd and 24th century. For starters, the Boatswain, or Bosun, is in charge of the deck crew. Historically it was used to pass commands to the crew as its high pitch could be heard … The boatswain's pipe or call, sometimes referred to as a bosun's pipe because of the way the word is pronounced, is a simple whistle which boatswains use on naval ships to pass along orders. Learn more. the boatswains call [or whistle], more often than not called the bosun's call, is a naval instrument used for ceremony and for sound signalling orders and commands throughout the ship. The Bosun’s Call or the Bosun’s Pipe. American Bosun Pipes, Bosun Whistles, and More. Bowman: The crewmember in charge of sail changes and keeping a … On a small ship, the bosun may also be the third or fourth mate, meaning that he or she is only a few steps below the captain in seniority. Bosun is the phonetic spelling of the abbreviations of Boatswain. The Navy used to use a two-tone whistle called a Bosun"s pipe for similar purposes.