Bo'sun Will

Bo'sun Will Cavendish is a Pirates minifigure.
== Description ==
The original 1989 version of Bo'sun Will appears in 6235 Buried Treasure, which is named "6235 Bo'sun Will and Spinoza" and other similar variations in 1989-1992 European catalogs.1989 Europe Catalog - Page 21989 UK Catalog - Page 121991 UK Catalog - Page 18 Will was originally depicted as an older adult pirate, with a prominent mustache and stubble. He wears a red bandana, a blue/white striped shirt, and white pants. The 1990 UK catalog also uses this mustached pirate's head for Will's profile, although he is depicted wearing a blue bandana instead.United Kingdom 1990 LEGO catalog - Page 10
However, 6255 Pirate Comic portrays Bo'sun Will as a much younger pirate, and comes packaged with two minifigures of Will and First Mate Rummy to use with page 35's "FIND THE PIRATE MAP!" game.6255 Pirate Comic - Page 35 This version of Will would not officially appear in the main Pirates sets until 1991's 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up. He has no distinguishing features on his generic smiling face, which ironically sets him apart as unique among the pirate minifigures. He retains the red bandana, but now wears a red/white striped shirt and red pants to match his appearance in the comic.
== Background ==
Will is the son of William Gordon Frederic Cavendish. He is the boatswain (or bo'sun) of the Black Seas Barracuda, and is one of the youngest pirates on the ship and a loyal friend to Captain Redbeard. He has some skill with a sword and pistol. Unlike other pirates, he has a honorable attitude towards women and children, and he has a crush on Camilla, the niece of Governor Broadside.
In The Golden Medallion, Bo'sun Will partakes in the raid of Lt. de Martinet's ship, during which he saves Camilla from another pirate. After the raid, Will recognizes Spinoza in the Black Seas Barracuda's rigging, and he tries unsuccessfully lure the monkey down so they can retrieve the medallion half on its collar. The next morning, at Forbidden Island, the pirates learn that the medallion is the map to the Blackheart cousins' treasure. Will and Redbeard go to Port Royal to learn about the medallion's other half from Brian Blackheart's former shipmate, but Will is captured by the Imperial Soldiers, sentenced to execution by Governor Broadside, and imprisoned in Eldorado Fortress. There, he finds the other half of the medallion, Camilla brings him food, and Redbeard breaks him out of prison. However, the Black Seas Barracuda has been commandeered by Captain Foul, who forces them to hand over the medallion and sets them adrift on the Castaway's Raft during a hurricane. Will and Redbeard wash ashore on Shipwreck Island, where they battle Captain Foul's pirates and then are surrounded by Imperial Soldiers, just before the volcano erupts and everybody flees. Will and First Mate Rummy carry Redbeard safely aboard the Black Seas Barracuda, forcing him to leave the treasure behind. Returning to Forbidden Island, Will declares that he has had enough of rum and treasure, even pushing an old man into the sea for trying to sell him a treasure map.
Bo'sun Will is the narrator of an ad for the United Kingdom, which tells a similar story to The Golden Medallion. During a battle with the Sea Hawk, Will fails to stop Spinoza from jumping to the Governor's ship with the treasure map. As punishment, Will is sent adrift on the Castaway's Raft by Redbeard. Will arrives on a volcanic island just in time to see the Imperial Soldiers force Redbeard to walk the plank, and Will rescues his captain with the raft. When the volcano erupts and the Imperial Soldiers flee, Will and Redbeard successfully retrieve the treasure, only to realize that they have nowhere to spend it.
In Will and the Gold Chase, Will hears about Camilla's lost golden heart-shaped pendant and wishes he could find it for her. When Spinoza jumps into a fishing boat with the key to the money chest, Will knows that the fishing boats usually take their catch to the markets in Port Royal. The pirates decide to disguise themselves and the ship to sail into Port Royal. Will and Jimbo question the fishermen, who identify the boat Spinoza stowed away on as belonging to Old Binnacle. Will returns to the Skylark, and attempts to explain this to Redbeard. After Spinoza is retrieved, Will is cleaning his fish when he discovers Camilla's missing pendant in its stomach. Will packages the pendant, marking the box with an anchor to match his tattoo, and then sends the package to Eldorado Fortress. Camilla knows who sent her back the pendant, and is very careful with it from then on.
In Captain Roger's Birthday, the pirates plan a surprise birthday party for Captain Redbeard. Will and Rummy visit the Keg and Cutlass and Magpie's General Store to get the supplies for the Captain's party, but Captain Foul and his crew cleaned them both out beforehand. Will comes up with another idea: Governor Broadside is greedy enough that he'd be sure to have plenty of supplies for a party. Will, Rummy, and Jimbo row ashore and creep up to the Eldorado Fortress. They smell delicious turkey, but cannot climb up the walls. Popsy repeats that barrels are waiting on the quay with enough food to feed a hundred. Will decides that this must mean supplies for the Governor’s own birthday party. The pirates return to their ship, where Will informs the captain that the treasure ship has been and gone, but its cargo is still sitting on the quay. Will, Rummy, and twelve other pirates go ashore armed and ready to take the cargo. The soldiers guarding the supplies surrender, but the supplies do not contain food; Will discovers that the next group of wagons are loaded with hay and tar. When Foul and his crew spring an ambush, Will calls a retreat back to the boats. Back on the Barracuda, the pirates reveal everything to Redbeard, and present him a new peg leg and the Governor's birthday cake.
In Adventure on Shark Island, Redbeard and Will add up the loot from their most recent raid: three doubloons, two of which are fake. Disappointed, the crew visit the Keg and Cutlass and engage in a brawl with Captain Foul and his crew. Later, Foul kidnaps Anne and demands a thousand doubloon ransom from Redbeard. Although they cannot pay the ransom, Will insists they rescue Anne. Will and Jimbo go ashore at Shark Island, and spot Foul's ship and Anne's barrel. Will and Jimbo return to the Barracuda and explain that only Spinoza can get to Anne's barrel. He plans to send Spinoza up to the barrel with a line of rope, which Anne can use to climb down. That night, Will, Jimbo, and Spinoza navigate a small launch through the rocks near Shark Island. They board Foul's ship, and everything goes as planned. As they escape, Foul orders Culverin to open fire, unintentionally blowing a bag of gold right into Will's boat.
In The Royal Visit, the Ironram sneaked up on the Black Seas Barracuda because Will was reading in his cabin and Rummy was asleep in the crow's nest. Later, Redbeard calls a meeting of all the pirate captains, but Jonah of the Hesperus is missing. With Anne’s help, Will realizes that Jonah's pet jackdaw has been missing since his owner's escape from Port Royal. After consulting his books, he tells Redbeard that he knows where Governor Broadside's missing badge of office is located. They find the Hesperus, and Will takes a look inside the bird's barrel and finds the badge. Will explains that one of his books had a poem about a jackdaw who stole a diamond ring, likely referring to "The Jackdaw of Rheims".
== Notes ==
* In German audio dramas, Bo'sun Will is voiced by Sascha Draeger.
* The unnamed Pirate Boy from the 2015 relaunch of the Pirates theme bears a striking resemblance to Bo'sun Will. While they have never been confirmed to be the same character, the 2015 theme also features Captain Redbeard and refers to Pirate Gunner as Rummy in an image filename, strongly suggesting that the resemblance is intentional.
== Appearances ==
* 6235 Buried Treasure 
* 6257 Castaway's Raft 
* 6285 Black Seas Barracuda 
* 6255 Pirate Comic
* Der Schatz der halben Münze
* Der Schatz des Gouverneurs
* Bootsmann Willy rettet den Gouverneur
* Der geheimnisvolle Schatz
* Das Geheimnis von La Sceletta
* Das goldene Schiff
* Will and the Gold Chase
* Captain Roger's Birthday
* Adventure on Shark Island
* The Royal Visit
* 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up
* 6286 Skull's Eye Schooner 
* Die Insel der schaurigen Masken
* Piratensegel am Horizont
* 10040 Black Seas Barracuda 
== LEGO Description ==
==Gallery==
Willie.jpg|Will on the cover of 6255 Pirate Comic in 1989
Ladybird Books Pirates Bios.jpg|Will's profile in the Ladybird Books series
70413 Bo'Sun Will.jpg|The 2015 Pirate Boy, who closely resembles Will
== See also ==
* Pirate Boy
* Jack "Dark Shark" Doubloons
== References ==
Category:Pirates minifigures
Category:Minifigures introduced in 1989