A crow's nest is a structure in the upper part of the mainmast of a ship or structure, that is used as a lookout point.

This position ensured the best view of the approaching hazards, other ships or land. It was the best device for this purpose until the invention of radar.

In early ships it was simply a barrel or a basket lashed to the tallest mast. Later it became a specially designed platform with protective railing. The barrel crow’s nest was invented in 1807 by the Arctic explorer William Scoresby sr. A statue in Whitby, North Yorkshire commemorates the event.

It should not be confused with the top, the platform in the upper part of each mast of a square-rigged sailing ship.

Sometimes the term is used metaphorically in reference to topmost structures in buildings, towers, etc.

Since the crow's nest is a point far away from the ship's centre of mass, any small movement of the ship is amplified and could lead to severe seasickness, even in accustomed sailors. Therefore, being sent to the crow's nest was also considered a punishment. Spanish "carajo" curse is derived from punitive usage of crow's nest named as such in Spanish.

Kelly Joe Phelps (born October 5, 1959, Sumner, Washington, United States) is an American musician and songwriter. His music has been characterized as a mixture of delta blues and jazz.

Kelly Joe Phelps grew up in Sumner, Washington, a blue-collar and farming town. He learned country and folk songs, as well as drums and piano, from his father. He began playing guitar at age twelve.

Phelps concentrated on free jazz and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. He spent 10 years playing jazz, mostly as a bass player. He refers to his "conversion" to a blues musician when he began listening to acoustic blues masters like Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams.

Initially gaining notice for his solo lapstyle slide guitar playing, which he played by laying the instrument flat and fretting it with a heavy steel bar, he has incorporated more ensemble work in his later albums. Inspired by the birth of his daughter Rachel in 1990, Phelps began writing songs. He began singing and released his critically praised debut, Lead Me On, in 1995. This album showcased Phelps' craft, and as well as his own songs, he tackled traditional numbers such as "Motherless Children" and "Fare Thee Well."