Boatswain

Originally, on board sailing ships the boatswain was in charge of a ship's anchors, cordage, colors, deck crew and the ship's boats.^[1] The boatswain would also be in charge of the rigging while the ship was in dock.^[1] The boatswain's technical tasks have been modernized with the advent of steam engines and subsequent mechanisation.^[1]

Onboard U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels, boatswain's mates and deck seamen comprise the deck department, under the supervision of the First Lieutenant.^[2]

Boatswain's mates train, direct, and supervise personnel in ship's maintenance duties in all activities relating to marlinespike, deck, boat seamanship, painting, upkeep of ship's external structure, rigging, deck equipment, and boats.^[3] Boatswain's Mates take charge of working parties; perform seamanship tasks; act as petty officer-in-charge of picketboats, self-propelled barges, tugs, and other yard and district craft.^[3] They maintain discipline as master-at-arms and police petty officers.^[3] They serve in, or take charge of, guncrews or damage control parties.^[3] BM's also operate and maintain equipment used in loading and unloading cargo, ammunition, fuel, and general stores.^[3]

Boatswain's mates also summon the crew to work by a whistle known as a boatswain's call or boatswain's pipe.^[4] On the ancient row-galleys, the boatswain used his pipe to "call the stroke."^[5] Later because its shrill tune could be heard above most of the activity on board, it was used to signal various happenings such as knock-off and the boarding of officials.^[5] So essential was this signaling device to the well-being of the ship, that it became a badge of office and honor in the British and American Navies.^[5]

In the U.S. Navy the title Boatswain is reserved for the Ship's Boatswain, an officer who assists the First Lieutenant by supervising the deck force in the execution of major seamanship functions and the maintenance of topside gear.^[6] The Ship's Boatswain supervises cargo handling,^[6] and inspects and maintains rigging and deck gear.^[6] His duties also include supervising anchoring, mooring, fueling, towing, transferring of personnel and cargo, and the operation and maintenance of ship's boats.^[6] The Ship's Boatswain is in charge of what the Navy deems "unusual" seamanship operations such as retrieving target drones,^[6] and also schedules training for deck division personnel.^[6] Another key duty of the Ships' Boatswain is supervision of the maintenance of abandon-ship equipment and instruction in abandon-ship techniques.^[6]

The most versatile member of the Coast Guard's operational team is the Boatswain's Mate (BM).^[7] Boatswain's Mates are masters of seamanship.^[7] BMs are capable of performing almost any task in connection with deck maintenance, small boat operations, navigation and supervising all personnel assigned to a ship's deck force.^[7] BMs have a general knowledge of ropes and cables, including different uses, stresses, strains and proper stowing.^[7] BMs operate hoists, cranes, and winches to load cargo or set gangplanks, stand watch for security, navigation or communications.^[7]

Boatswain's Mates can be found in nearly every duty station available throughout the United States and various locations overseas.^[7] They serve on every Coast Guard Cutter from harbor tugs to seagoing icebreakers.^[7] Additionally, in many assignments act as a federal law enforcement officer.^[7] BMs are Officers-In-Charge of many patrol boats, tugs, small craft and small shore units including search and rescue stations and aids to navigation teams.^[7] BMs utilize their leadership and expertise to perform the missions of the Coast Guard, at sea and on shore.^[7]

Leadership ability, physical strength, good hearing and vision and a high degree of manual dexterity.^[7] School courses taken in algebra, geometry and shop are helpful.^[7] Any experience handling small boats is extremely valuable.^[7]

Training for Boatswain's Mate is accomplished through 12-weeks of intensive training at Yorktown, VA or with on-the-job training through a striker program.^[7] Upon completion of this training, BMs may go on to attend other advanced training such as Coxswain, Heavy Weather Coxswain, Aids to Navigation Basic and Advanced, Bouy Deck Supervisor, Law Enforcement including fisheries among others.^[7]

Related Civilian Jobs include Pier Superintendent, Tugboat Crewman, Heavy Equipment Operator, Marina Supervisor, Marina Operator, and Ship Pilot.^[7]

On board merchant vessels, the boatswain is the foreman of the crew.^[8][1] Nowadays, the boatswain is often an able seaman.^[9] On some vessels, the boatswain is also the third or fourth mate.^[1] The boatswain generally reports to the Chief mate.^[8] If the ship carries a carpenter or deck storekeeper, they generally report to the boatswain.^[8]

The word boatswain has been in the English language since approximately 1450.^[10] It is derived from late Old English batswegen, from bat ("boat") + Old Norse sveinn ("swain"), meaning a young man, a follower, retainer or servant.^[10] The phonetic spelling bosun has been observed since 1868.^[10]

The rank of Boatswain was until recently the oldest rank in Great Britain's Royal Navy,^[11] and its origins can be traced back to the year 1040.^[11] The Royal Navy's last official Boatswain, Commander E W Andrew OBE, retired in 1990.^[11]

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.^[12] Later these officers were "warranted" by the British Admiralty.^[12] They maintained and sailed the ships and were the standing officers of the navy.^[12] Soldiers commanded by Captains would be on board the ships to do the fighting but they had nothing to do with running the ships.^[12] The word "soldiering" came about as a seaman's term of contempt for the soldiers and anyone else who avoided shipboard duties.^[12]

The warranted officers were often the permanent members of the ships' companies.^[12] They stayed with the ships in port between voyages as caretakers supervising repairs and refitting.^[12] Other crewmen and soldiers might change with each voyage.^[12] Early in the Fourteenth Century the Purser joined the warrant officers.^[12] He was originally "the clerk of burser."^[12] During the following centuries the Gunner, Surgeon, Chaplain, Master-at-arms, Schoolmaster and others signed on.^[12]

In the Royal Navy the task of disciplining the crew fell to the quartermasters and quartermaster's mates.^{[citation needed]} This was done using either a rattan boatswain's cane on the boys or with a rope's end on the adult sailors.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} Birching or use of the cat o' nine tails would have been typical in the latter case.^{[citation needed]} In a large crew he could delegate this to the boatswain's mates, who might alternate after each dozen lashes.^{[citation needed]}

A number of boatswains mates have achieved notoriety in the military. 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.S. Navy Boatswain's Mates.^[13][14] Medal of Honor recipients Francis P. Hammerberg,^[15] and George Robert Cholister^[16] were U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mates, as was Navy Cross recipient Stephen Bass.^[17]

Victoria Cross recipients John Sheppard (VC), John Sullivan (VC), Henry Curtis, and John Harrison (VC 1857) were Royal Navy Boatswain's Mates.

Lord Byron had a Newfoundland dog named Boatswain.^[18] Byron composed at least one ode about the dog and had a monument made for him Newstead Abbey.^[18]

There are also a handful of fictional boatswains and boatswain's mates. The main character Zack Mayo in An Officer and A Gentleman was a former Boatswain's Mate.^{[citation needed]} Also, the character Bill Bobstay in Gilbert and Sullivan's musical comedy H.M.S. Pinafore is alternatively referred to as a "bos'un"^[19] and a "Boatswain's Mate."^[20] Another boatswain from literature is Smee from Peter Pan.^[21]

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S.A.) (2007). "Water Transportation Occupations" (PDF). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2007-04-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |accessyear=, |month=, |accessmonthday=, and |coauthors= (help)
• Encyclopædia Britannica (1911). "Boatswain". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th edition ed.). p. 100. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessmonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, and |coauthors= (help)
• Hayler, William B. (2003). American Merchant Seaman's Manual. Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87033-549-9..
• United States Naval Institute (1996) [1902]. The Bluejackets' Manual (21st ed. ed.). Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 1-55750-050-9. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |month=, |chapterurl=, |origdate=, and |coauthors= (help)

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• Bootsmann
• Deck department
• Seafarer's professions and ranks

• CorPun website on corporal punishments
• Navy Enlisted Occupational Standards for Boatswain's Mate (BM)
• Boatswain Job Description at WHOI
• Boatswain Job Description at OUS
• Boatswain at OccupationalInfo.org
• Boatswain's Mate Job Description at the Royal Australian Navy
• gCaptain.com a website for professional mariners.
• Boatswain's Job Description at the Canadian Navy
• International Labour Organization (2000-12-05). "Seaman, Merchant Marine". International Hazard Datasheets on Occupation. Retrieved 2007-05-26. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)