# Navy BMs - what is it called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652 "2006-01-19T14:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/1 "2006-01-19T14:21:45Z")
What is the name of the chair/cage that a person sits in when being transfered from one ship to the other while underway? - **Sean** , who can’t remember the simplest of things from his SW quals ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/2 "2006-01-19T14:24:46Z")
Boatswain chair: A short board secured by ropes and used as a seat by sailors when working aloft or over a ship’s side. Jim (ex-EM3) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/3 "2006-01-19T14:32:15Z")
That’s what I thought, but isn’t that only for working over the side? I remember hauliing on a line when I was an EM3 to bring an admiral from the Peterson to our ship, and it was more of a chair enclosed by bars, not just a board suspended by rope. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/4 "2006-01-19T14:42:32Z")
> [@Sean Factotum](#): > > That’s what I thought, but isn’t that only for working over the side? I remember hauliing on a line when I was an EM3 to bring an admiral from the Peterson to our ship, and it was more of a chair enclosed by bars, not just a board suspended by rope. Okay, Now I understand, sorry. The reason you might not remember is because at leat on my Carrier (USS Ranger) we called those “The Bird Cage”, I am clueless to the real name. You were an EM3 also? (USS Ranger CV-61) When did you serve and what ship? (1985-1989) Jim ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/5 "2006-01-19T14:45:21Z")
Google Search for Unrep & Chair yielded this [http://www.ciwscentral.com/photo\_pl.htm](http://www.ciwscentral.com/photo_pl.htm) scroll down to UnRep They seem to be calling the Bird Cage and Unrep Chair. That was to obvious for me. 😃 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Goblin\_Shark\_Proboscis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Goblin\_Shark\_Proboscis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goblin_Shark_Proboscis)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/6 "2006-01-19T14:56:27Z")
> [@Sean Factotum](#): > > What is the name of the chair/cage that a person sits in when being transfered from one ship to the other while underway? > > - **Sean** , who can’t remember the simplest of things from his SW quals IANAD, but if you are having navy BMs, you should probably see one. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/7 "2006-01-19T15:07:25Z")
[Bosun’s chair](http://www.kmike.com/oz/reardon/chair.htm) [More pix](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&hs=LQv&c2coff=1&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=%22bosun's%20chair%22&spell=1&sa=N&tab=wi) ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/8 "2006-01-19T16:13:01Z")
As I understand it, it’s been called a bosun’s chair for hundreds of years, and occasionally a bosun’s cradle. Examples abound in the Patrick O’Brian Aubrey and Maturin series. I was curious so looked it up in the OED, but the first cite they have is from 1894: > [@](#): > > 1894 STEVENSON & OSBOURNE Ebb-Tide I. v. 77 He had a bo’sun’s chair rigged over the rail…and went overboard with a pot of paint. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-bms-what-is-it-called/340652/9 "2006-01-19T16:14:25Z")
Well, I didn’t see a picture from your links, and have had no luck so far in the Goat Locker. Like I said, it was more of a chair in a frame than just a seat/sling. I’ll find it. Thanks for all your help, folks. If anuyone finds something down the line, just post it. Jim, I’m retired EMC, and spent my underway time on CGN-40 ('85-'90), CVN-69 ('92-'97), and CVN-75 (2000-'03.) East Coast, nuke.