Monday, June 18, 2007

Sea Scout Manual by Boy Scouts of America

1949 copy


1942 copy

Bosun's Call Whistle Sea Scout Cadet Boatswain's Pipe


ABOUT BOATSWAIN'S AND BOSUN'S calls (WHISTLES):
More that the ship's captain, one man on board and one man only, was responsible for a pleasant or a hellish voyage for the ship's crew. He was the boatswain, the first warant officer responsible for handling the crew. Boatswain is one of the oldest seafaring titles and Old English 'basegen', meaning boat's swain or husband, at that time the actual commander of the ship.

The high pitched call signal could be heard across the din of the howling wind, the tumult of the towering waves as they came crashing over the decks. That was when the 'master' most needed his men to listen to the whistle's signals, be it 'Men aloft' or 'Let go....'

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE: The notes made by the whistle are produced by blowing with an even pressure or blowing with a varying pressure to give a warbling sound or trilling sound by vibrating the tongue. To make a variable throttling effect, just close the hand round the bouy