The bosun’s chair is a typical piece of equipment included on board a vessel in the late 19th and early 20th century. The nautical word 'bosun' is an abbreviation of the word 'boatswain' who is the person responsible for the repair and maintenance of the vessel. It could be used when rigging the sails and for rescue at sea, along with a thick rope anchored on shore or a rope between ships. It could also be used to move passengers to and from a ship as well as cargo on, to and from the vessel. A bosun's chair is a simple piece of equipment made from a short plank of wood and a sturdy piece of rope. It looks a little like a child's swing but usually has a pulley system that allows the user to adjust the length of the hanging piece of rope, and in so-doing adjusts the height above the floor or ground or sea. In modern times a harness would also be worn by the bosun’s chair user for safety reasons. Bosun's chairs are also used by window cleaners, construction workers and painters. The bosun’s chair is sometimes just a short plank, or even a canvas sling. The bosun's chair is significant for its association with maritime equipment carried on board a vessel in the late 19th and early 20th century for maintenance and safety purposes. It was occasionally used to save lives. The bosun's chair is also significant as an early version of equipment still used today. Since its invention there have been many safety features added in certain industries such as window cleaning and painting.Bosuns chair, rectangular slab of wood with two holes at both ends through which rope ends are threaded for support and the loops above the seat are tied with sailor's knotting to form a triangle. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, bosun's chair, bosuns chair, boatswains chair, rigging, maritime equipment, bosun's seat, life saving, marine technology, ship rigging

The bosun’s chair is a typical piece of equipment included on board a vessel in the late 19th and early 20th century. The nautical word 'bosun' is an abbreviation of the word 'boatswain' who is the person responsible for the repair and maintenance of the vessel. It could be used when rigging the sails and for rescue at sea, along with a thick rope anchored on shore or a rope between ships. It could also be used to move passengers to and from a ship as well as cargo on, to and from the vessel. A bosun's chair is a simple piece of equipment made from a short plank of wood and a sturdy piece of rope. It looks a little like a child's swing but usually has a pulley system that allows the user to adjust the length of the hanging piece of rope, and in so-doing adjusts the height above the floor or ground or sea. In modern times a harness would also be worn by the bosun’s chair user for safety reasons. Bosun's chairs are also used by window cleaners, construction workers and painters. The bosun’s chair is sometimes just a short plank, or even a canvas sling. The bosun's chair is significant for its association with maritime equipment carried on board a vessel in the late 19th and early 20th century for maintenance and safety purposes. It was occasionally used to save lives. The bosun's chair is also significant as an early version of equipment still used today. Since its invention there have been many safety features added in certain industries such as window cleaning and painting.Bosuns chair; flat smooth rectangular piece of wood, with rope passing through two holes at each end of plank and looped together above plank to form a suspended seat swing. Loops a are joined with knot work and ends are spliced together under the seat.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, bosun's chair, bosuns chair, boatswains chair, rigging, maritime equipment, bosun's seat, life saving, marine technology, ship rigging

This Bosun's char was part of the equipment on the vessel 'Reginald M. It is typical of items included on board a vessel in the late 19th and early 20th century. The nautical word 'bosun' is an abbreviation of the word 'boatswain' who is the person responsible for the repair and maintenance of the vessel. It could be used when rigging the sails and for rescue at sea, along with a thick rope anchored on shore or a rope between ships. It could also be used to move passengers to and from a ship as well as cargo on, to and from the vessel. A bosun's chair is a simple piece of equipment made from a short plank of wood and a sturdy piece of rope. It looks a little like a child's swing but usually has a pulley system that allows the user to adjust the length of the hanging piece of rope, and in so-doing adjusts the height above the floor or ground or sea. In modern times a harness would also be worn by the bosun’s chair user for safety reasons. Bosun's chairs are also used by window cleaners, construction workers and painters. The bosun’s chair is sometimes just a short plank, or even a canvas sling. The REGINALD M - The vessel “Reginald M” was a two-masted coastal ketch, owned and built by Mr. Jack (John) Murch of Birkenhead, Port of Adelaide, South Australia. Its construction took approximately 6 months and it was launched at Largs Bay in 1922. The vessel had many owners and adventures over the years until it was purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum & Village in 1975 from the Melbourne Ferry Company at auction. It was then used as an active display until 2016. Visitors could go aboard, turn the ship's wheel, go below deck and get the feel of the captain's quarters, sailors' quarters and the storage space available. The Reginald M was a popular exhibit for young and old, until 2016.This bosun's chair is significant for its connection to the maritime history. It has been used for rigging, painting, maintenance and importantly for life saving and safety. The bonus's chair is also significant because of its connection to the history of the vessel REGINALD M, the coastal trading ketch from South Australia built in 1922 and in existence until 2016. Its flat bottom, single chine shape illustrates a very simple but robust method of construction, compared to other round bilged examples of trading vessels. The Reginald M is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV Number: HV000562.)Bosun's chair; seat is a rectangular plank of wood with a hole drilled in each corner and three reinforcing wood lengths attached below the plank. The ends of two looped thick ropes have been threaded through the holes in the plank, crossed over then spliced together. The loops of rope above the plank have been tied with light rope. A roughly made wire hook is attached at the base of one length of rope. Top surface reveals indents where the bottom wooden pieces are joined to the top and some of the metal fixtures can be seen along the edge. There are remnants of white paint on the top.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, bosun's chair, bosuns chair, boatswains chair, rigging, maritime equipment, bosun's seat, life saving, marine technology, ship rigging

Photograph of a sailor being transferred by bosun's chair from one ship to another. Several people watched the transfer.My vietnam Collection. copyright david Triggbosun's chair, photograph, hmas sydney, hmas yarra

Bosuns chair and harness with pulley. This device suspended a person from a rope and seat to perform work duties in safety. It includes a chair made from a flat piece of wood threaded through with a cable attached to pulleys, which move people or goods up or down heights such as the lighthouse, where it was used for painting the lighthouse and other tasks. It has first level contributory significance for its relative completeness, historic value and provenance to the lightstation.Chair (wooden piece of wood with cable threaded through 4 holes) with cables joining together above seat. Two metal pulleys with wire cable attached.

The ‘Resumatic’ brand, British made, lightweight device comprises a red pulley with attached length of white rope and harness. Information on the item indicates that it was the property of the Department of Transport, Australia. The Commonwealth Lighthouse Service was associated with the Department of Shipping and Transport in 1951 and the Navigational Aids Branch of the Department of Transport in 1972 so the harness may date to this period. The easily operated descent device was used for automatic, controlled descents from overhead structures, such as towers and other buildings and did not require a power source or tools. The user needed to make sure the unit is secured to an anchor point so that the cable could be dropped to the ground. As soon as it was secured the user could put on the support harness, step off the edge and travel down to safety. The device complements a number of other items of rescue equipment held in the wider Parks Victoria lightstation collection which attest to the dangers inherent in lightstation work and necessity for first aid kits, resuscitators, life buoys, life jackets and other devices such as harnesses and pulleys used for moving people. These include a bosun’s chair and harness with pulley, Royal Flying Doctor first aid cabinet, resuscitator kit and case, first aid kit, lifebuoy and cork fragments x 4 all in the Gabo Island collection; a rescue basket, resuscitation kit and case, and pulleys and ropes at Cape Otway; rescue stretcher made of bamboo at Wilsons Promontory; and a rescue anchor at Cape Schanck. The Cape Nelson rescue harness, although unique in the broader lightstation collection, is a relatively common device that is still manufactured more or less the same in England. It has second level contributory significance for offering insights into the various methods used in rescue operations by Victoria’s lightstations.Length of white rope attached to a harness and a red pully device.yes