Boatswain's call

A boatswain's call is a pipe used on naval ships by a boatswain. It is pronounced, and sometimes spelled, ''bosun's call''.\r\nHistorically the boatswain's call was used to pass commands to the crew when the voice could not be heard over the sounds of the sea. Because of its high pitch, it could be heard over the activities of the crew and bad weather. It is now used in traditional bugle calls such as Evening Colors/Sunset, and in other ceremonies in most modern navies. It is sometimes accompanied by other auditive features such as ruffles and flourishes, voice commands and announcements, or even a gun salute.