As a very young man, I had a grunt job with a construction crew and a
foreman who loved to bully the newbies. After an absolutely undeserved
ass-chewing one day, one of the "older guys" (probably 35) took me
aside and said not to let it bother me. "Just remember," he counseled,
"boss spelled backwards is merely a double S O B."

Here are some "boss" words that pertain to boating, defined by
Lenfestey/Lenfestey.

boss (n): 1, The rounded hub of the propeller. 2, The rounded section
of the stern of a vessel at the propeller shaft. 3, The center cap of
a compass card that rests on a pivot.

boss frame (n): A side frame that is bent to clear the stern tube.

bossing (n): The thicker part of an anchor shank where the stock goes
through the shank.

boss plate (n): The shell plate that covers the curved portion of the
hull where the propeller shaft passes through the hull.