Ear ear

[Richard Quartermaine]

Des, I think that's the one I bought - but the directions instruct filling the bulb with warm water and wash the wax out. Or maybe it's something new.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

Des have just pulled the international code of signals out of mine. Been there over 50 years. Would like to put the Q flag up and say this vessel is healthy and requests free pratique, but no doubt the U flag will get preference, you are standing into danger. Which would be possibly correct if could have a free source of good Scotch. Cheers John S PS maybe able to pull the Code and answering pennant, numerals and first second and third substitutes though another orifice to prevent ear ache JS

[robpage]

I personally like to fly the "Z" flag

[j.sabourn]

Is that Mails or Males Rob, Cappy is going to pick that one up... JS

[robpage]

Nautical Flags and Their Meanings_001.jpg

Nautical Flags and Their Meanings_002.jpg

Nautical Flags and Their Meanings_003.jpg

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I Require a TUG ?????? Highly suspect that one !!!!

[j.sabourn]

Wheres that one Rob. Is not in the single hoists. May be in the 2 or 3 flag hoists. The single flag hoists you were expected to know, after that you could go into the Admiralty lists of signals to make up whatever. Ships letters were 4 flag hoists. Signals by semaphore was 8 words a minute, and morse 6 words a minute. Comparitively slow to a naval yeoman. Funny enough a lot of sparkies when asked to read the lamp sometimes had problems as was too slow for them. Dont think the MN do Semaphore anymore, dont know about the others such as the lamp. When used these as the main means of communication over the years is hard to forget as used all the time. Think it was into the 70"s before ever sailed with VHF. Used to annoy me when you had the mate on watch conversing with another ship in the middle of nowhere explaining what collission avoidance he was taken, showed he had a poor knowledge of Rule of The Road. JS

[robpage]

On the three pictures of the single hoists on #15 , click the third picture John

[Keith Tindell]

I was on lookout on the Baltic Trader, would have been 1960 ish, and we were a few miles off the North African Coast in the region of Oran. I did not see or hear a ship, but suddenly from astern we were bathed in a searchlight, and a small French warship was very close to us with a gun trained on us,this ship was transmitting by Aldiss lamp, but no one on board could read it was too fast. It ended with us slowing right down, and the skipper. Of the Baltic Trader hollering through a megaphone across to Froggy. As I recall it was just a standard "where bound " etc. Remember this was in the era of big troubles in Algeria for the French. KT

[j.sabourn]

#17... Fings aint wot they used ter be. Whenever a new govt. dept takes over they always have to change things to show their authority. I cant read too well but assume the meanings are different than what I stated. No wonder theres so many collissione these days, hope they have told everyone. Including the Ruskis and Chinese these are the bigger maritime persons on the stage these days. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

#17... Fings aint wot they used ter be. Whenever a new govt. dept takes over they always have to change things to show their authority. I cant read too well but assume the meanings are different than what I stated. No wonder theres so many collissione these days, hope they have told everyone. Including the Ruskis and Chinese these are the bigger maritime persons on the stage these days. JS

Just thinking the same John, which bloody busybody decided to change internationally recognised flags so that confusion arises in the reading. International means universal and universally understood, if regattas want to play at seamen then they should leave the Single-Flag meanings alone and invent their own Two-Flag messages for playing around and let ships on international trades go about their business in time honoured fashion using internationally recognised communications