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This article is about a seafaring occupation. For other uses, see Boatswain (disambiguation).
Boatswain
The bosun aboard a modern merchant ship stands cargo watch as freight is lowered into an open hatch.The bosun aboard a modern merchant ship stands cargo watch as freight is lowered into an open hatch.
General
Other names : Bosun
Department : Deck department
Licensed : No
Requirements : typically Able seaman certificate
Watchstanding
Watch (at sea) : On smaller vessels (varies)
Watch (in port) : On smaller vessels (varies)

A boatswain or bosun /ˈbo. The Deck Department is an organizational unit aboard naval and merchant ships See also Seafarer's professions and ranks An Able Seaman (AB is an unlicensed member of the Deck department of a Merchant ship. sn̩/ is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. A licensed mariner is a person who holds a license issued by one or more countries to hold senior positions aboard ships boats and similar vessels The Deck Department is an organizational unit aboard naval and merchant ships A merchant vessel is a Ship that transports Cargo and Passengers during peace time The boatswain supervises the other unlicensed members of the ship's deck department, and typically not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews. Watchstanding, or watchkeeping, in nautical terms concerns the division of qualified personnel to operate a Ship continuously around the clock. Other duties vary depending on the type of ship, its crewing, and other factors.

Contents

Etymology

The word boatswain has been in the English language since approximately 1450. [1] It is derived from late Old English batswegen, from bat ("boat") + Old Norse sveinn ("swain"), meaning a young man, a follower, retainer or servant. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Swain is a traditional English Surname derived ultimately from the Old Norse Personal name Sveinn ( Sven, Sweyn meaning A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage a suite (literal French meanings what follows of " A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works and often also lives within the employer's household [1] The phonetic spelling bosun has been observed since 1868. [1] Interestingly, this spelling was used in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" written in 1611, and as "Bos'n" in later editions.

Job description

The boatswain works in a ship's deck department as the foreman of the unlicensed deck crew. The Deck Department is an organizational unit aboard naval and merchant ships [2] Sometimes, the boatswain is also a third or fourth mate. See also Seafarer's professions and ranks A Third Mate (3/M or Third Officer is a licensed member of the Deck department of See also Seafarer's professions and ranks A Third Mate (3/M or Third Officer is a licensed member of the Deck department of [2] A bosun must be highly skilled in all matters of marlinspike seamanship required for working on deck of a sea-going vessel. The bosun is distinguished from other able seamen by the supervisory roles: planning, scheduling, and assigning work. [3]

As deck crew foremen, the boatswain plans the day's work and assigns tasks to the deck crew. [3] As work is completed, the boatswain checks on completed work for compliance with approved operating procedures. [3]

Outside the supervisory role, the bosun regularly inspects the vessel and performs a variety of routine, skilled, and semiskilled duties to maintain all areas of the ship not maintained by the engineering department. Marine Engineers are the members of a ship's crew that operate and maintain the propulsion and other systems on board the vessel [3] These duties can include cleaning, painting, and maintaining the vessel's hull, superstructure and deck equipment as well as executing a formal preventive maintenance program. [3]


A bosun's skills may include cargo rigging, winch operations, deck maintenance, working aloft, and other duties required during deck operations. This master mariner is well versed in the care and handling of lines. A bosun will have knowledge of and ability to use knots, hitches, bends, whipping, and splices as needed to perform tasks such as mooring a vessel. Competencies extend to the safe operation of a windlass. A windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights Typically a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder (barrel which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt Duties may require operating the basic functions of a windlass, including letting go and heaving up an anchor. Moreover, a bosun may be called upon to lead firefighting efforts or other emergency procedures encountered in the inherently dangerous environment of a ship. Effective bosuns are able to integrate their seafarer skills into supervising and communicating with members of deck crew with often diverse backgrounds.

Originally, on board sailing ships the boatswain was in charge of a ship's anchors, cordage, colors, deck crew and the ship's boats. Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large Wind -powered Vessel. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity generally in a structured or hierarchical organization [2] The boatswain would also be in charge of the rigging while the ship was in dock. Rigging (from Anglo-Saxon wrigan or wringing, "to clothe" is on Sailboats and Sailing ships the collection of A dock (from Dutch 'dok' is a man-made feature involved in the handling of boats or ships [2] The boatswain's technical tasks have been modernized with the advent of steam engines and subsequent mechanisation. [2]

Working conditions

Merchant mariners spend extended periods at sea. Most deep-sea mariners are hired for one or more voyages that last for several months; there is no job security after that. The length of time between voyages varies depending on job availability and personal preference. [4]

At sea, a watchstanding boatswain will usually stand watch for 4 hours and are off for 8 hours, 7 days a week. [4]

People in water transportation occupations work in all weather conditions. Although merchant mariners try to avoid severe storms while at sea, working in damp and cold conditions often is inevitable. While it is uncommon nowadays for vessels to suffer disasters such as fire, explosion, or a sinking, workers face the possibility that they may have to abandon their craft on short notice if it collides with other vessels or runs aground. They also risk injury or death from falling overboard and hazards associated with working with machinery, heavy loads, and dangerous cargo. However, modern safety management procedures, advanced emergency communications, and effective international rescue systems place modern mariners in a much safer position. [4]

Most newer vessels are air conditioned, soundproofed from noisy machinery, and equipped with comfortable living quarters. For some mariners, these amenities have helped ease the sometimes difficult circumstances of long periods away from home. Also, modern communications, especially email, link modern mariners to their families. Nevertheless, some mariners dislike the long periods away from home and the confinement aboard ship and consequently leave the occupation. [4]

In the United States, the rate of unionization for these workers is about 36 percent, much higher than the average for all occupations. [4] Consequently, merchant marine officers and seamen, both veterans and beginners, are hired for voyages through union hiring halls or directly by shipping companies. [4] Hiring halls rank the candidates by the length of time the person has been out of work and fill open slots accordingly. [4] Hiring halls typically are found in major seaports. [4]

Boatswains employed on Great Lakes ships work 60 days and have 30 days off, but do not work in the winter when the lakes are frozen. [4] Workers on rivers, on canals, and in harbors are more likely to have year-round work. [4] Some work 8-hour or 12-hour shifts and go home every day. [4] Others work steadily for a week or a month and then have an extended period off. [4] When working, they usually are on duty for 6 or 12 hours and off for 6 or 12 hours. Those on smaller vessels are normally assigned to one vessel and have steady employment. [4]

Origins in the Royal Navy

The rank of Boatswain was until recently the oldest rank in Great Britain's Royal Navy,[5] and its origins can be traced back to the year 1040. [5] The Royal Navy's last official Boatswain, Commander E W Andrew OBE, retired in 1990. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. [5]

In 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain privileges, they also furnished crews whose officers were the Master, Boatswain, Carpenter and Cook. Cinque Ports is also the name of a 1703 Galleon (ship The Confederation of Cinque Ports (sɪŋk pɔrts is a historic series of coastal King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last Captain is the traditional customary title given to the person in charge in command of a Ship at sea A carpenter (builder is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry - a wide range of Woodworking that includes constructing buildings, See also Seafarer's professions and ranks A Chief Cook (often shortened to Cook is a senior unlicensed crewmember working in the Steward's department of a [6] Later these officers were "warranted" by the British Admiralty. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. [6] They maintained and sailed the ships and were the standing officers of the navy. [6] Soldiers commanded by Captains would be on board the ships to do the fighting but they had nothing to do with running the ships. [6] The word "soldiering" came about as a seaman's term of contempt for the soldiers and anyone else who avoided shipboard duties. [6]

The warranted officers were often the permanent members of the ships' companies. [6] They stayed with the ships in port between voyages as caretakers supervising repairs and refitting. [6] Other crewmen and soldiers might change with each voyage. [6] Early in the Fourteenth Century the Purser joined the warrant officers. A ship's purser (also purser or pusser) is the person on a Ship responsible for the handling of Money on board [6] He was originally "the clerk of burser. "[6] During the following centuries the Gunner, Surgeon, Chaplain, Master-at-arms, Schoolmaster and others signed on. The United States Navy occupational rating of Gunner's Mate (abbreviated as GM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel ( BUPERS A chaplain is typically a Priest, Pastor, ordained Deacon, Rabbi, Imam or other member of the Clergy serving a group of A Master-at-Arms (MAA is a rating responsible for Discipline aboard a Naval ship. [6]

In the Royal Navy the task of disciplining the crew fell to the quartermasters and quartermaster's mates. Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations In land armies it is a term referring to a military individual or unit who specializes in supplying and provisioning troops This was done using either a rattan boatswain's cane on the boys or with a rope's end on the adult sailors. Caning is a Physical punishment (see that article for generalities and alternatives consisting of a number of hits (known as "strokes" or "cuts" with A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting. 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. Birching or use of the cat o' nine tails would have been typical in the latter case. Birching is a Corporal punishment with a Birch rod typically applied to the recipient's bare buttocks although occasionally to the back and/or shoulders The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to 'the cat' is a type of multi-tailed whipping device that originated as an implement for severe Physical punishment In a large crew he could delegate this to the boatswain's mates, who might alternate after each dozen lashes.

Notable boatswains

A number of boatswains and naval boatswains mates have achieved notoriety. Reuben James and William Wiley famous for their heroism in the Barbary Wars and namesakes of the ships USS Reuben James (FFG-57) and USS Wiley (DD-597) were U. Reuben James (c1776– 3 December 1838) was a Boatswain's Mate of the United States Navy, famous for his heroism in the Barbary Wars For other persons with a similar name see William Wiley (disambiguation. The Barbary Wars (or Tripolitan Wars were two wars between the United States of America and Barbary States in North Africa in the early 19th century Ship history 1980s The contract to build Reuben James was awarded on 22 March 1982 to Todd Shipyard of San Pedro California History The destroyer conducted shakedown out of San Diego, Calif. S. Navy Boatswain's Mates. [7][8] Medal of Honor recipients Francis P. Hammerberg,[9] and George Robert Cholister[10] were U. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg (May 31 1920 - February 17 1945 was a United States Navy diver who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for rescuing George Robert Cholister was a United States Navy sailor awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions on 20 October 1924. S. Navy Boatswain's Mates, as was Navy Cross recipient Stephen Bass. The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. Stephen Bass was a Senior Chief Boatswain's Mate in the United States Navy SEALs Team 1 and was attached to the British Special Boat Service [11] The Boatswain in William Shakespere's The Tempest is a central character is several scenes. William Shakespeare ( baptised The Tempest is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. It is generally dated to 1610-11 and accepted as the last play written solely by him although

Victoria Cross recipients John Sheppard (VC), John Sullivan (VC), Henry Curtis, and John Harrison (VC 1857) were Royal Navy Boatswain's Mates. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since John Sheppard (or Shepherd VC, CGM ( 22 September 1817 - 17 December 1884) was an English recipient of the John Sullivan VC CGM (10 April 1830-28 June 1884 was born in Bantry, County Cork and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Henry Curtis VC ( December 21, 1822 - November 23, 1896) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, John Harrison VC ( 24 January 1832 - 27 December 1865) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest

Lord Byron had a Newfoundland dog named Boatswain. [12] Byron wrote the famous poem Epitaph to a Dog and had a monument made for him at Newstead Abbey. Epitaph to a Dog is a Poem by the English poet Lord Byron. It was written in 1808 in honour of his Newfoundland dog, Boatswain who had just died of Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, originally an Augustinian priory is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. [12]

There are also a handful of fictional boatswains and boatswain's mates. The father of main character Zack Mayo in An Officer and A Gentleman was a Boatswain's Mate. An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 film which tells the story of a United States Navy aviation Officer Candidate who comes into conflict Also, the character Bill Bobstay in Gilbert and Sullivan's musical comedy H.M.S. Pinafore is alternatively referred to as a "bos'un"[13] and a "Boatswain's Mate. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by "[14] Another boatswain from literature is Smee from Peter Pan. The works of J M Barrie about Peter Pan feature many memorable characters. Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Boatswain. The British Merchant Navy, known simply as the Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests Overview The merchant marine is a civilian auxiliary of the U A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent Coastal regions Nautical publications is a technical term used in maritime circles describing a set of publications generally published by national governments for use in safe navigation of ships boats The United States Navy occupational rating of Boatswain's Mate (abbreviated as BM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel ( BUPERS Bootsmann was a highest-ranking Petty Officer position in German Naval forces The Deck Department is an organizational unit aboard naval and merchant ships See also Ship transport Seafarers hold a variety of professions and ranks, and each of these roles carries unique responsibilities which are integral to the Serang is the capital of Banten Province and the administrative center of Serang Regency in Indonesia. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
  2. ^ a b c d e Chisholm, 1911, Boatswain.
  3. ^ a b c d e Oregon University System, 2004
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007, p. 1.
  5. ^ a b c HMS Victory. royalnavy. mod. uk. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Naval Historical Center (07-20-2005). The Naval Historical Center (NHC is the official History program of the United States Navy. Why is the Colonel Called "Kernal"? The Origin of the Ranks and Rank Insignia Now Used by the United States Armed Forces. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  7. ^ Ship's Namesake. USS Reuben James Official Website. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  8. ^ Naval Historical Center (1981). The Naval Historical Center (NHC is the official History program of the United States Navy. Wiley. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  9. ^ Naval Historical Center (1981). The Naval Historical Center (NHC is the official History program of the United States Navy. Hammerberg. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  10. ^ Naval Historical Center (1997). The Naval Historical Center (NHC is the official History program of the United States Navy. Navy Medal of Honor: Interim Period 1920-1940. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  11. ^ CPO Stephen Bass, U.S.N.. LegionOfValor. com. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
  12. ^ a b Clinton, George (1828). Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Lord Byron. London: James Robbins and Company, 8. Retrieved on 2007-05-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed  
  13. ^ See quote from "The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan" at [1].
  14. ^ See quote from S. W. Gilbert in "The story of the H. M. S. Pinafore" at [2].
  15. ^ J M Barrie (December 27, 1904). Sir James Matthew Barrie 1st Baronet OM ( 9 May, 1860 &ndash 19 June, 1937) more commonly known as J "Act II: The Never Land", Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up. Retrieved on 2007-05-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed  

References

External links

Dictionary

boatswain

-noun

  1. (nautical) The officer (or warrant officer) in charge of sails, rigging, anchors, cables etc. and all work on deck of a sailing ship.
  2. (nautical) The petty officer of a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen.
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