Referred to as the “Bossman” by the crew both endearingly and demeaningly, Bill’s stature far removes him from climbing the rigging or sitting upon the crow’s nest, at least in his mind. Thus he is relegated to the much more fearsome task of lifting the crew’s spirits through song and drink, a job which he takes very seriously. “Bottles of Booze from Bossman Bill” is one of his favourite self-written shanties.
