Bowmen, life at the pointy end
Q: what do you call someone who hangs out with sailors? A: A bowman Bowmen (and women) are probably the most visual of all sailors, they are perceived on one hand as the most menial of the crew. All brute strength and muscle whilst they haul sails up and down. Leaping around and yelling at other crew members. Alternatively they are the pinup boys of sailing, extreme athletes who make the crew further aft look positively dowdy. Bowmen tend to feature on the covers of sailing magazines more than any other member of the yachting fraternity. Most crewing positions involve close interaction whilst the bowman operates further in distance from others for a large part of the time and as a result is seen as an individual amongst a team. But in reality the bow position is a fulcrum of a large team effort and is very reliant on that crew behind him. It is impossible for him to do a good job without every other member of the ...