Whistling on boats

[Sunset Rising]

Assuming that most old supersticions had a basis in fact...... Why was/is it considered unlucky to whistle on boats ?

 

 

 

And what else is it considered unlucky to do aboard ?

[Idunhoe]

I believe that this stems from the practice onboard Royal Navy vessels of passing orders using a bosuns call (whistle) so someone whistling (a tune) could have lead to confusion (Unless of course someone knows better)

[Jason Wilson and Family]

I've always understood it to be that whistling will call up a storm.

[Josher]

I've always understood it to be that whistling will call up a storm.

So that's why it rains when I make a brew - kettle's fault!

[Tim Doran]

The cleaner at work whistles and it is very irritating. He is so cheerful I want to attack him with the hoover.

[headjog]

RED HERRINGS AND WHITE ELEPHANTS by ALBERT JACK

 

"If we are told to 'Whistle for it' the inference is that we are highly unlikely to get the result we want. This is another expression dating back to the early sailing ships...The belief among some sailors was that when the day was still,and the sails empty, they could summon the wind by whistling for it. Other sailors disagreed & felt whistling was the Devil's music & instead of a gentle wind arriving a fierce storm would appear. This also explains the phrase 'whistling in the wind' Often whistling would bring no change in the weather..(no surprises there) but it did lead to another saying 'neither fair wind nor a storm' meaning the action altered nothing at all"

edited for spelin

Edited November 5, 2010 by headjog

[Nightwatch]

I thought it was a sign that the crew were planning a mutiny.

 

 

 

Martyn

[Jo Gilbertson]

I was taught as a dinghy sailor that it was an old superstition to 'whistle' to call up the wind when it was flat calm ...I suppose it could be unlucky if you got too much back...

 

edited for spelling *!*

Edited November 5, 2010 by Jo Gilbertson

[Mick_B]

Music is a big part of my life. I break into whistling a tune without realising it. This led to serious problems in September when myself and a friend were delivering a sail boat from Portugal to the noth of Italy. He was very superstitious about whistling aboard. The longest spell we had at sea was 4 days and tempers were a bit frayed towards the end. Maybe the lack of beer didn't help. :-)

[Sunset Rising]

I thought it was a sign that the crew were planning a mutiny.

 

 

 

Martyn

 

neh, she will be to busy making the tea to plan mutanies.

[Nightwatch]

neh, she will be to busy making the tea to plan mutanies.

Oh yeah, should have thought of that.

[avonside1563]

In tall ship days sailors also used to 'Scratch the Backstays' as well as whistling for the wind in a flat calm.... Not much chance of getting caught in the doldrums on the inland waterways though!

[1066]

Not much chance of getting caught in the doldrums .........

 

That's enough to make anybody whistle.