Tosser

[John Arton]

JS
re#4 All round signalling lamp. On most ships I was on it was also connected to the auto fog signal so when the fog signal (or manoeuvring sound signal sounded) the all round light illuminated.
Morse is still taught for O.O.W. tickets and is still a requirement under STCW as is knowledge of single letter code flags.
rgds
JA

[Ivan Cloherty]

JS
re#4 All round signalling lamp. On most ships I was on it was also connected to the auto fog signal so when the fog signal the all round light illuminated.

rgds
JA

That must have ruined your night vision in hours of darkness

[John Arton]

That must have ruined your night vision in hours of darkness

Ivan
The all round signalling lamp was always placed on the top of the main mast and with nearly all ships since the 60's had the main mast above the wheel house it was above you so it did not interfere with your night vision, also its wattage was not too great as its primary use was for when ships were manoeuvring to complement the manoeuvring sound signals.
rgds
JA

[Hugh]

Don't believe there is a Dah Dah dit dit in the morse code unless I am going senile faster than expected

Call a doctor or better still a nurse, John. Dah Dah Dit Dit = Z.

Regards
Hugh

[j.sabourn]

Thanks Hugh it suddenly came back to me in bed last night. In fact just came back on here to correct. Was also used to address or call shore stations. Sat for hours going through the morse code in my head before it came back. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#7.. Going back to the hand lead, the first mark at 3 fathoms was a piece of Red Bunting, so suppose everytime one took a sounding with such one could be called the Bunting tosser. The next mark was 5 fathoms and a piece of blue serge, doesn't sound right the blue serge tosser. I never tried to differentiate between the two by feel only in the dark, but those who used the lead frequently must have been able to. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan
The all round signalling lamp was always placed on the top of the main mast and with nearly all ships since the 60's had the main mast above the wheel house it was above you so it did not interfere with your night vision, also its wattage was not too great as its primary use was for when ships were manoeuvring to complement the manoeuvring sound signals.
rgds
JA

On the ships I sailed on it was always atop the foremast, hence my remark, even in my supt days the ships we had it was always atop the foremast

[j.sabourn]

#13 The steam whistle or Electric horn being wired up to an all round white light, the first time I saw this on British ships was when going up the Great lakes. Most ships had to be fitted with such before entering the Great lakes navigational areas and was compulsory by both Canadian and American Authorities. As regards being fitted on others normal trading world wide if is now compulsory must have come in at a much later date as never saw fitted. If it was fitted it must have been disconnected. As it was 1968 when I was first up the Lakes and this was already in their regulations, I wouldn't have a clue when it was made mandatory. If it was mandatory on British ships I was never aware of a surveyor checking it out. As for the mainmast above the Bridge I never saw that either, only the Xmas tree or signal mast. On general cargo ships it was usual in a conventional built ship to have the foremast on the foredeck and the mainmast on the after deck. The Triatic or Jumper stay between the two with various halyards and other odds and sods leading from, also the ships main aerial going mast to mast, before the advent of ships whip aerials and all the modern stuff. Cheers JS

[Evan Lewis]

How about the expression I aint got a tosser. Does that mean I aint got no bunting. JS

Hi! John .
Wasn't A Tosser. someone who had a convenient hole,in his pocket?

a Dah Dah dit dit in the morse code . From MEM . Wasn't that Z?

[John Arton]

On the ships I sailed on it was always atop the foremast, hence my remark, even in my supt days the ships we had it was always atop the foremast

Ivan
strangely enough, apart from the Empress of Canada, every ship I ever sailed on had all aft accommodation and bridge so main mast was always atop of the bridge. As for having the all round signalling light on the foremast (which on ships I sailed on) would be on the focsle, never saw that.
rgds
JA