Boatswain’s Call/Pipe

[TheCrustyBosun]

The Boatswain’s Call 

 

The boatswain’s call is a musical instrument that has been in use aboard warships to convey commands since the age of sail. When used properly, it produces sounds that can be clearly heard from the maintruck (top of the mainmast) down to the ship’s keel. They were used to convey the orders or “calls” of the sailing master or Boatswain. Hence, the name “boatswain’s call”.  The appearance of the call is similar to that of a pipe and became known as such. The terms call and pipe are used interchangeably. Orders or calls must be passed in a manner that is clear and distinctly heard over the verbal commands issued to other shipboard trades. These instruments were also used by the Boatswain’s mates. Boatswain’s Pipes became a badge of honor or status. A junior boatswains mate might start with a copper or brass pipe. As he progresses through the ranks, he may then receive one plated in nickel and finally, one made of silver. 

 

The pipe is worn suspended around the neck on a lanyard. These were handmade out of small diameter cordage and varied in design and difficulty. The lanyard is a resume of sorts. The fancier the work and better the quality, indicates a higher level of skill and ability. 

 

The pipe is not to be referred to simply as a “whistle”.  Whistling aboard a ship is bad luck and forbidden as it brings bad weather. Legend has it that only one person was allowed to whistle, the cook. That way, you knew he wasn’t busy eating your food. 

 

The call plays four “notes” or pitches. The pitch is manipulated by four hand positions, open, curved, closed, and clinched. The lowest pitch is played at the open position with the highest at the clinched. The combination of pitch and the control of airflow with the tongue and diaphragm provides endless variations that are used to compose calls. There are calls for everything from laying aloft to piping down and heaving away to making fast.  Calls were written to wake the crew, call their attention, muster (gather) them, and even send them off to eat. There is even “sheet music” for the pipe and it is used not only by students, but as a reference for more “experienced hands”.  Examples can be found in various editions of the Bluejacket’s Manual as well as the Boatswain’s Mate course training material. Instructions for tuning are also part of the required knowledge. Not every pipe plays in a satisfactory manner right out of the box and those will require adjustment. Denting the bowl, filing the wind edge, and soldering or waxing are all common methods. There’s even the use of a bristle from straw broom to determine the correct airflow vector through the pipe. It’s too complicated to be a simple “whistle”! Think of it like a bugle. 

 

The practical use of the boatswains pipe was greatly reduced with the transition to steam, diesel, and electric propulsion. It is mostly relegated to ceremonial use and limited usage preceding verbal announcements made by the Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch over the 1MC, the ship’s announcement system. Incidentally, those verbal announcements are still referred to as “pipes” or “making a pipe”. 

 

The design used by the US Navy and US Coast Guard differs in appearance from those used by the British Royal Navy. I will post pictures of both US stock system issue pipes and private purchase examples along with a British design for comparison. 

 

All are encouraged to contribute photos and input regarding this topic. Let’s keep to those used in military service. Show us those pipes!

[TheCrustyBosun]

The following information comes from my grandfather, USCG BM2c Hoyer’s 1943 11th edition Bluejacket’s Manual. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

The following comes from my own personal notes copied in my hand from a copy of the 1937 Royal Navy Manual of Seamanship, Volume 1. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

Here are the pipes I used while serving as a USCG Boatswain’s Mate. 

 

The first was given to me by a Chief Boatswain’s Mate very early in my career. It is a typical stock system issued pipe. The design is typical of those used by the USN and USCG. It is nickel plated brass. This pipe has been tuned. Note the dented bowl and filed wind edge detail. 
 

The second is a private purchase pipe made in brass finish by Penn Mint. This pipe required no adjustments. It was my spare. 
 

The third pipe is of typical design used by the British Royal Navy. It was made in England by Acme. It was a private purchase item. I used this pipe for piping short calls such as morning and evening colors and attention prior to speaking over the 1MC. This pipe is very nicely made and sounds great out of the box. 
 

For longer pipes such as piping the side, sweepers, and mess call, I used the first two pipes pictured here. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

Here are the lanyards I used. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

The Left Handed Salute-

 

The boatswain’s pipe is held in the right hand when played. This poses a conflict when piping the side. Piping the side is a ceremonial courtesy rendered to senior officers and dignitaries as they arrive aboard a ship. This is usually in conjunction with the use of sideboys. Sideboys make up two a corridor through which the officer or dignitary passes to be received by the Commanding Officer. The Boatswain’s Mate is in charge of the detail and uses his pipe for all commands. He pipes the sideboys into position, to attention, etc. When the officer or dignitary steps onto the brow (gangway), the Boatswain’s Mate begins the call “pipe the side”. It can be a long call depending on how long it takes the individual to transit the brow and onto the deck. It stops when the person has set foot on deck and passed the through the sideboys. The Boatswain Mate renders a salute while playing and must use his left hand to do so. This is a rare occasion where using the left hand is authorized. 
 

Here I am piping the side and giving the ole left hand salute. This photo comes from our 2005 summer deployment book. 

[dpcsdan]

Great information, Boats.

Here's some information I gathered a few years ago. It also shows a few other examples of "calls."

Please feel free to correct any mistakes I may have included.

http://navycollector.com/Navy Images/__History of the Bosun Call.pdf

-dan

[TheCrustyBosun]

The following photos demonstrate the hand positions for both US and British pipe designs as I was taught and practiced while serving. 
 

The first photo in both series will show the open position with the last showing the clinched. 
 

The last two photos show the “head on” aspect of both pipes. 

[topdcnut]

Boats you can call this a musical instrument if you want as some call it a whistle. The call is the heartbeat of a sea going life, it wakes you, it calls you to break for chow and tells you when to put the lights out and rest. Sorry I did not need to tell you that............just love that part of my life and thank you for its continuation.

[stratasfan]

Oh, boy! This is amazing! I love when these whistles show up in films! I'm coming back tomorrow to fully read through this! Amazing thread! Thanks for sharing the info and the pictures and the pages with the calls! Wish I could practice! 

 

[TheCrustyBosun]

10 minutes ago, topdcnut said:

Boats you can call this a musical instrument if you want as some call it a whistle. The call is the heartbeat of a sea going life, it wakes you, it calls you to break for chow and tells you when to put the lights out and rest. Sorry I did not need to tell you that............just love that part of my life and thank you for its continuation.

Of course!! Thanks for the comment. The snipes (engineering dept guys) were usually the ones calling it a whistle. They were also infamous for “helping you tune your pipe” if found adrift. A vise, convenient hand tool, or even a watertight door could be used to destroy your pipe. When returned the comment, “There. I fixed it for ya.” could often be heard. “Uh...Thanks.”  
 

 

[TheCrustyBosun]

10 minutes ago, stratasfan said:

Oh, boy! This is amazing! I love when these whistles show up in films! I'm coming back tomorrow to fully read through this! Amazing thread! Thanks for sharing the info and the pictures and the pages with the calls! Wish I could practice! 

 

I generally cringe when seeing them played in movies. I must remind myself that it is a relatively small community within the service that can play them in the first place, let alone an actor in a Hollywood film. 
 

It does take practice and as with many things, becomes muscle memory. I was once asked to teach the newer members of the deck department how to pipe. I was given a box full of brand new pipes and told to hand them out. I could not apologize enough for the suffering I caused the rest of the crew as I taught my class and then sent my students off to practice. I was guilty of “setting a bunch of kids loose with whistles”. 

[stratasfan]

9 hours ago, TheCrustyBosun said:

I generally cringe when seeing them played in movies. I must remind myself that it is a relatively small community within the service that can play them in the first place, let alone an actor in a Hollywood film. 
 

It does take practice and as with many things, becomes muscle memory. I was once asked to teach the newer members of the deck department how to pipe. I was given a box full of brand new pipes and told to hand them out. I could not apologize enough for the suffering I caused the rest of the crew as I taught my class and then sent my students off to practice. I was guilty of “setting a bunch of kids loose with whistles”. 

 

So . . . is there a movie you've seen (or a few) where someone knows how to play it? 

[TheCrustyBosun]

Just now, stratasfan said:

 

So . . . is there a movie you've seen (or a few) where someone knows how to play it? 

Off the top of my head, no. I notice that the hand positions are usually wrong for the sound, meaning their hand is open when the pitch is higher. They get it backwards. Although that could be a result of production and sound dubbing. I don’t know. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

There were some videos online at one time. I’ll have to look and see if there’s a good one to reference. The USCG had a VHS tape that accompanied the BM course material when I was in. It was shot aboard Eagle. I don’t know if they transferred it to DVD or remade it. 
 

I used to keep a boatswains pipe in the center console of my car. I would practice in the car, especially in traffic. In hindsight, I wonder how many people saw me practicing and thought I was doing drugs!  😆

[stratasfan]

Oh, that's interesting. So . . . you close your hand and the sound gets higher? This is cool! Sis has a bosun's pipe . . . one of those repro vintage looking ones sold in the catalogues back when we were young along with repro CW bugles, and such. I think it is a British version. I'm going to have to get her to find it and see if it works at all! 

 

As to movies . . . Since at least the 1980s, you have to think that 80-90% of all sound heard on a film/TV movie is post-synced (which means it is recorded in a studio after the fact and placed on top of the video. Even the actors go into a sound booth and record their lines to match their film clips) so I'd assume they record a pipe and then put it on the movie soundtrack, as you say you often see the wrong hand movements for the tones. Also . . . because of the noise they make, I'd assume most on film seen pipes actually make no noise. Like pianos typically make no noise and violins and cellos have the sound posts removed, etc. 

 

Here are some questions about pipes in particular.  Hope you don't mind! This is so cool! 

 

Have pipes changed much since olden times? Like design/look? How can you tell a modern from an older one? 

 

In the post where you show the pictures of your three pipes . . . Are the US ones stainless? Why is the second one plated? 

 

Is there a difference in US v. British? I mean, I can see your British one looks a bit fancier, but is there a difference more than aesthetics? Also, why would you not use your British one for longer calls? 

 

Tuning . . . this is an intriguing thought. What is  a pipe tuned to? I could see the dented bowl. Where was the filing? Is that flat plate something that vibrates? I never thought about the flat plate being something to do with the sound. 

 

 

[stratasfan]

One other question . . . is there an insignia or patch or something that you wear/get when you are the one who plays the pipe or does it go with the rank/rate of Bosun? 

[TheCrustyBosun]

22 minutes ago, stratasfan said:

One other question . . . is there an insignia or patch or something that you wear/get when you are the one who plays the pipe or does it go with the rank/rate of Bosun? 

No. There was no special distinguishing mark that I’m aware of. 
 

The terms Boatswain, Bosun, and Bos’n all refer to chief warrant officers. Boatswain’s Mates are all petty officers (enlisted) including Chief Petty Officers. All of those personnel would be trained in the use of the pipe at one time or another, but most will not use it beyond that. 
 

Pipes are used daily aboard USCG Barque Eagle by the quarterdeck watchstanders in port and sometimes by the QMOW (which are all BM’s now) underway. Seaman Apprentices (E-2) and Seaman (E-3) stand quarterdeck watches and must be able to pipe morning and evening colors. Engineering personnel don’t stand topside watches. They have different pipes to worry about. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

13 hours ago, dpcsdan said:

Great information, Boats.

Here's some information I gathered a few years ago. It also shows a few other examples of "calls."

Please feel free to correct any mistakes I may have included.

http://navycollector.com/Navy Images/__History of the Bosun Call.pdf

-dan

Looks good to me, Senior!  
 

I especially like the inclusion of the Argentinian, Brazilian, and German pipes. I’ve seen all three before. Even played along with boatswain’s mates from the Brazilian and Portuguese Navy at a dinner hosted aboard NRP Sagres (Portuguese Navy’s training ship and sister to Eagle). 

 

The Germans still use the pipe daily aboard their training ship, Gorch Fock II. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

5 hours ago, stratasfan said:

Here are some questions about pipes in particular.  Hope you don't mind! This is so cool! 

 

Have pipes changed much since olden times? Like design/look? How can you tell a modern from an older one? 

 

In the post where you show the pictures of your three pipes . . . Are the US ones stainless? Why is the second one plated? 

 

Is there a difference in US v. British? I mean, I can see your British one looks a bit fancier, but is there a difference more than aesthetics? Also, why would you not use your British one for longer calls? 

 

Tuning . . . this is an intriguing thought. What is  a pipe tuned to? I could see the dented bowl. Where was the filing? Is that flat plate something that vibrates? I never thought about the flat plate being something to do with the sound. 

 

 

Pipes haven’t changed much over the years. It’s an extremely simple design. 
 

The material type and patina will often give you a starting point for age. Sterling silver and nickel plated pipes are usually vintage. Chrome plated brass is usually indicative of “modern” pipes. I was mistaken in the description of my first pipe. It is chrome plated brass. The presence of a chain lanyard on a pipe usually flag it as a modern replica. Authentic vintage pipes used in military service have lanyards made of small natural fiber cordage. Modern lanyards will be made of synthetic cordage like parachute cord. Markings and engraving also say a lot about a pipe. The flat plate is called a flange on American pipes and the keel on a British version. This is the surface where you’ll commonly see engraving. It may be an engraved name or decorative design as shown in Dan’s attachment. The vintage stuff will be done by hand most likely by a professional and will have a characteristic look and depth not achieved by a modern engraving machine. Names were often punched into the flanges of more modern pipes and even crudely scratched by hand. 
 

The modern American pipes are not stainless, but chrome plated brass. The second one I showed is not plated, just brass. 
 

US vs. British- the differences are just in style. They work the same way. If anything, they were made to a higher standard. I’ve never seen a British pipe that had to be tuned like the American versions. That’s because of the materials and method of construction. The British pipes are noticeably heavier. I preferred the British pipe for short calls simply because it took more air to play one. The American version requires less air making it easier in the lungs to play longer. 
 

Tuning-  Give me a bit and I’ll put together a post with some illustrations for you. Tuning can be a pain and many pipes have been destroyed in attempts to do so. 

One interesting note that has not been specifically addressed is that pipes were used almost exclusively aboard military vessels. You won’t find them in use on a merchant vessel. I have worked for Mystic Seaport (our nation’s largest and finest maritime museum 😉) for 17 years and never once have I seen reference to the pipe’s use aboard civilian vessels. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

Tuning- The Bluejackets Manual doesn’t do an effective job explaining this process, in my opinion. Dan’s attachment is definitely worth a read. I’ll do my best....

 

Some pipes play pretty well out of the box. Others don’t. If you hear pure sound with no whisps of air, you’re good. If you don’t hear a clear sound, your pipe needs work. The nomenclature and theory is explained in the Bluejackets Manual. It’s enough to get you started, but an experienced BM can me helpful. Beyond that, it’s trial and error. You stand a chance of ruining a pipe if you’re not successful. 

Denting the bowl-  This technique uses a punch to dent the sides of the bowl. The result should actually increase the pitch of the pipe, but is used as an attempt to improve air flow. 
 

Wax- Some guys stuffed wax into the bowl and then heated it up. Once it melted, they’d turn the pipe to evenly coat the inside of the bowl. The wax would cool and leave you with a smooth interior. (This method was also used with canteens.) The smooth interior allowed for better airflow. Wax or solder could also be applied to either side of the pea to improve air flow coming out of the reed. 
 

Filing- Taking a metal file to the wind edge and sharpening or reshaping the edge improves the quality of the sound. The airflow across the pea and the wind edge is what produces the sound. You can also flatten or file the end of the reed for better flow. 
 

The straw- This helps determine the proper alignment from the reed to the wind edge. The use of the word “reed” is deceptive. A reed vibrates and produces sounds. There is no vibrating reed in a boatswains pipe. The reed of an American pipe refers to the tube through which you blow. That’s it. To use the straw you must harvest a bristle from a straw broom. You run it through the reed toward the wind edge. The wind edge should split the end of the straw if properly aligned. This technique isn’t reliable with British pipes because of the curves. 
 

There are a lot of options for tuning a pipe. Unfortunately there are also a lot of options for ruining a pipe. The more you mess with it, the better the chances are that you may destroy it. Knowing when to stop is a good thing. 
 

The following photos show the areas where adjustments can be made as well as how the air flows through the pipe and the straw method. 

 

[topdcnut]

BZ Boats for bringing this topic to life!