"...With regards wildlone's comment about singing, I think that more applied to whistling as a bosun's whistle was generally used to pipe orders and other people whistling could prove a distraction. The only person who was said to be allowed to whistle was the cook, if he was whistling he could not be scoffing the food he was preparing...."

There was also the superstitious point that whistling was traditionally believed to be part of the ceremony for summoning the Devil <1>, who always arrived in a gale of wind<2> and was therefore to be discouraged.

I note from the DT that "On board a Man O'War" is in the database as "The Press Gang".
"Aboard a 98" is from the works of Peter Bellamy.

W

<1> Hence "A Whistling Woman and Crowing hen,
          Is Neither goog for beast nor men."
<2> Hence: "Whistling up the Wind"