Nelson & His World

There is an interesting correspondence in The Times at the moment about whistling aboard RN ships.

Recently published documents have revealed that whistling was discouraged aboard the Royal Yacht 'Britannia'. Readers have pointed out that whistling was always discouraged on RN ships because of superstitions associated with it. The only exceptions were when 'whistling for a wind' and when the cook was preparing meals as it showed he wasn't eating the food!

What does 'discouraged' mean? Surely things are either forbidden or permitted under naval discipline?

What were the superstitions associated with whistling?

Is there any evidence that 'whistling for a wind' is not mere superstition? Does it really work? Was this the Captain's job, (in which case, is there any record of Nelson whistling for a wind?) or were there people recognised as having a flair for it?

Captain Basil Hall recounts an incident of 'whistling for a wind' in his 'Fragments of Voyages & Travels'. Serving onboard the Endymion in 1810, the frigate sighted a strange brig and a chase started, which continued through the night and into the next morning, with the brig slowly pulling away; at this point Hall states that the ships company started to 'whistle for a wind' -

"......one might also have thought that the ship was planted in a grove of trees, in the height of spring time, so numerous were the whistlers. This practice of whistling for a wind is one of our nautical superstitions, which, however groundless and absurd, fastens insensibly on the strongest minded sailors at such times. Indeed I have seen many an anxious officer's mouth take the piping form, and have even heard sounds escape from lips which would have vehemently disclaimed all belief in the efficacy of such incantation.
But it would be about as wise a project to reason with the gales themselves, as to attempt convincing Jack that as the wind bloweth only when and where it listeth, his invoking it can be of no sort of use one way or the other. He will whistle on, I have no doubt, in all time to come when he wants a breeze, in spite of the march of intellect...."


It seemed to work - during the afternoon the "trace of a breeze" was felt, upon which "...the whistlers redoubled their efforts". Hall continues - " ..whether the wind, if left alone, would have come just as soon I do not venture to pronouce; but certain it is that, long before sunset our hearts were rejoiced by the sight of those flying patches of wind, scattered over the calm surface of the sea, and called by seamen cats-paws....one by one the sails were filled".

The chase, incidentally, continued for a long time before they finally overhauled the brig, which proved to be a privateer from St Malo.

As for being 'discouraged', I cannot find any orders specifically banning the practice. I have always understood that whistling was actually 'discouraged' in case it was mistaken for the Bosuns call.

Whistling for the wind certainly works. It is absolutely infallible, as evidenced by the fact there are no reported instances of anyone whistling for more than three days without the wind coming.

My guess is that, as suggested by Basikl Hall, most officers would not want to be seen to be superstitious, and would leave it to their crew.

Whistling while the wind is already blowing is of course highly dangerous and might well earn a reprimand.

Tycho,

My sense is that whistling for a wind was discouraged because, as PN wrote, it could be confused with the bosun's call, which was used for most sailing evolutions. Surely nothing would have been allowed which might have been confused with that sound - and you can imagine seamen rushing up on deck and letting go some rope or other, perhaps with disasterous consequences. If you want to go with superstitions, there were also scratching a stay, turning around three times etc. (remember Master and Commander?) which could also be invoked to encourage a wind.

I would suggest the fact that the ploy would appear to work, as Tony cites, is simply because sailing ships followed the geographical wind patterns which, except in extremes conditions, are more or less constant. Incidentally, these are not the routes sailed by powered ships, which use great circle routes and have no need of the wind. Thus when any sailing ship today sails round the world, such as the Swedish 'Gothenburg' a couple of years back, they don't often meet up with any powered ships on the open ocean.

Tycho, I would say the reason why whistling was discouraged aboard the 'Britannia' (since they wouldn't need a wind) was so as to not be a source of disturbance to any VIP guests she might have on board, much as the crew wore soft deck shoes or were not, I believe, allowed to 'loiter' in the vicinity of the Royal quarters.

Of course today on board a sailing ship when there is no wind, the usual ploy is to put the engine on!