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A battered ship pushes on through the angry storm and raging ocean, turning and twisting through the troughs of waves. The shouting of the crew and the captain’s orders are entirely eclipsed by the howl of the ocean. Out of the necessity to hear orders over the roar of the sea and the wind, the bosun whistle was created. The Greeks of the Classical era created the first rudimentary bosun whistle when trade and sea travel were at their peak on the Mediterranean Sea. The first bosun whistles were made of extremely crude metal parts and reeds in which to blow air. In order to keep a good grasp of the bosun whistle during times of crisis or when the sea is rocking the ship brutally or otherwise sending hard waves, the user wraps the chain on the end of the bosun whistle around his or her neck or wrist to secure it. The neck or somewhere secure inside the uniform is where the bosun whistle is kept when not being utilized. As an extra precaution and handy feature, the bosun whistle has several small loops that enable it to be secured around other strings, hooks in the walls, or rings of keys. Bosun whistles remain in the possession of merely a select few sailors on one ship. While it may be used by anyone in emergencies, it is the defining badge of the Quartermaster. In the spheres of the Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets, the bosun whistle is the mark of a Chief Boatswain’s mate, or a regular Boatswain’s mate. The bosun whistle is used in highly organized ceremonies as well. The bosun whistle is a regular item used in traditional bugle calls in the modern day. When used in ceremonies, bosun whistles and their sound may be accompanied by any number of flourishes, such as vocal commands or gun salutes. Bosun whistles are most famously used in sea burials for sailors or missing persons. The high frequency of the sounds the bosun whistle emits are immune to being muted or otherwise drowned out by surrounding sounds. Canines are famously attuned to the high pitch of the everyday dog whistle, which was modeled after the bosun whistle itself. All whistles are made of metal and while not particularly loud, the bosun whistle pierces through other sounds and a variety of messages are attached to each different call. The most elementary of all calls, the Haul, is an order to pull on the line and set into deeper waters, and it has its origins from warships in which sailors weren’t allowed to give orders verbally in case the enemy was nearby. The Away Galley, also known as the Side, is the honorary call given when any officer of the navy is boarding or disembarking the ship. To order small dinghies of the boat to ship off, the Away Boats call is issued. The call Word to be Passed is an order for silence among the crew, with one command following shortly after. George is an avid collector and connoisseur of all things nautical - nautical home decor, model boats, historical artifacts, etc. He has written articles for several large manufacturers and retailers of model ships, and he is a master ship builder himself. He brings a unique perspective from both the retail and the consumer side of the nautical decorating and model boat building markets.
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