pause and preparatory; the high for pulling on the line. The Side or Away Galley: Descends from the tradition of hoisting officers aboard ship in a chair. It is a combination of haul, and then a command to lower. This call remains in use as an honour given to officers when embarking or disembarking. Away Boats: Used to order a ship's boats to leave the ship's side. Call the Boatswain's Mates: The boatswain's gang to report. All Hands on Deck: Crews were split into three (or earlier, two) rotating watches that stood for two to four hours at a time. This call signals the entire crew to assemble on deck. Word to be Passed: Command for silence, an order to follow. Pipe Down: Dismissal of all the crew not on watch. Sweepers: End of the work day. Ostensibly sailors would "sweep up" prior to departure in preparation for the following day. Pipe to any meal: Pipe All Hands, followed by long Heave Around (Mess gear), and long Pipe Down. Still: Used to call the crew to attention. This would be done, for example, when two warships meet, the still being piped as the junior ship salutes the senior ship (the seniority of a warship is the seniority of her captain); a less common alternative to the still being piped is a bugle call. Carry On: Used after the still, to dismiss the crew back to their duties. General Call: Piped before an announcement. Officer of the Day: Call the Officer of the Day to the Gangway. In popular culture In the television series Star Trek, the boatswain's call can be heard every time before the captain (Kirk) speaks to the crew. References External links The Boatswain's Call – Photos and Diagrams ReadyAyeReady.com Bosun's Call MP3s by the US Navy Band A guide to the Robert S. Benner photographs of boatswains' whistles, 1976–1995 Whistles Military life