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Cruising America's Great Loop and other inland routes
View all threadsRe: GL: Fwd: RE: 4 Whistle / Horn Signal
Ahoy John, Tom, List,
As viewed from the sounding vessel,
for Meeting, Crossing (burdened) & Overtaking.
-
Whistle = Steering to Starboard; 2) Whistles = Steering to Port
-
Whistles = Machinery Astern, not necessarily the boat;
-
Whistles = Danger
-
Whistles = Please help, I can't remember this one, can't locate it
anywhere. I do recall that I "Knew" it many years ago.
John, I don't recall it being assigned to a local area. Please anyone
out there, let me know. Thanks,
Ciao, Capt Joe Guarino
In a message dated 1/29/2012 2:36:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
jjgill@twojscom.com writes:
Tom,
Like my cousin said, it could be a local signal. Properly the three shore
blast whistle / horn signal is given to mean that your vessel is going in
reverse AND there are other vessels in the area, as in backing out of a
slip. The one long blast is generally used when leaving your fairway and
going out into a channel.
If everyone in the local area is knows what one long blast immediately
followed by three short blast means then it is OK, just confusing outside of
the local area?
John
---===
On Jan 29, 2012, at 12:23 PM, Tom Barnes wrote:
I have worked in places where one prolonged and three shorts was called
a four whistle signal. One long for departing a dock and three shorts for
backing down.
Tom B.
Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
Begin forwarded message:
Joe and List,
There is no rule for a 4 Whistle or Horn signal! However, it may be a
local signal which is permitted under the COLREGS.
I checked this out with my cousin who is a graduate of Kingspoint and
has an unlimited tonnage USCG license.
Here's a quote from the USCG Nav Rules online, Rule 35, Sound Signals
in Restricted Visibility:
(e/d) A vessel towed or if more than one vessel is towed the
last vessel of the tow, if manned, shall at intervals of not more
than 2 minutes sound four blasts in succession, namely one prolonged
followed by three short blasts. When practicable, this signal shall
be made immediately after the signal made by the towing vessel.
So far as I can find, that's the only reference to a four blast signal.
Bill
I read somewhere that four whistles is understood to mean "pilot coming aboard" but I cannot remember my source.
Alan Lloyd
Great Loop Navigation Notes
- Whistles = Please help, I can't remember this one, can't locate it
nywhere. I do recall that I "Knew" it many years ago.
Joe, Tom and List,
If you can instantly remember that you are steering to Starboard when sounding a One Whistle blast and/or that the other vessel who signaled First is the one to Starboard and you must steer straight ahead (maintaining course and speed) and that Two Whistles means you are steering to Port, etc. that is fine with me. You also have to be certain that the other vessel is using your method and that One Whistle means that you intend to pass him on his Port Side when overtaking and also Port to Port when passing each other on a meeting situation.
I have found that new and old boaters alike more easily remember that One for Port and Left (both short words) and that Two for Starboard and Right (both longer words) is easier to remember than One means steer to Starboard or right and Two means steer to Port or left.
Three blasts according to the COLREGS means that you are "going astern" -- if your engines are in reverse, I don't see how you remain standing still, even at idle.
Four blasts used to be the signal for Danger, but it was changed - many years ago - to Five blasts. There is no mention of a "Help" signal in the current Inland Regulations, perhaps in a very old issue of Chapmans?
As far as local customs are concerned, it is not a matter of where you are assigned, it is a matter of local shorthand, in many cases to shorten or eliminate VHF radio transmissions. The fact that many of the tow boat operators on the Heartland Rivers use short terse VHF radio calls such as "I'll see Ya on the One or Two" are simply "Local Custom" and by Maritime Law are not Legal Communications. As a matter of fact, the use of Horn Signals trumps radio communications which may not be heard by other vessels in the area.
As I stated in a previous post, both my wife and I are USPS Certified Instructors and my Cousin is a graduate of the Kingspoint Merchant Marine Academy and has his unlimited tonnage USCG Captains License and his number of years qualifies him for the rank of Commodore as well as Captain.
The main point in this whole thread is for all boaters to know and use their Horn / Whistle signals. It is not really an option, but required by Maritime Law - ignoring the Law because others refuse to obey or operate safely within the law is simply no excuse in a maritime court.
John
---========
On Jan 29, 2012, at 3:09 PM, CaptJoe60@aol.com wrote:
Ahoy John, Tom, List,
As viewed from the sounding vessel,
for Meeting, Crossing (burdened) & Overtaking.
-
Whistle = Steering to Starboard; 2) Whistles = Steering to Port
-
Whistles = Machinery Astern, not necessarily the boat;
-
Whistles = Danger
-
Whistles = Please help, I can't remember this one, can't locate it anywhere. I do recall that I "Knew" it many years ago.
John, I don't recall it being assigned to a local area. Please anyone out there, let me know. Thanks,
Ciao, Capt Joe Guarino
In a message dated 1/29/2012 2:36:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jjgill@twojscom.com writes:
Tom,
Like my cousin said, it could be a local signal. Properly the three shore blast whistle / horn signal is given to mean that your vessel is going in reverse AND there are other vessels in the area, as in backing out of a slip. The one long blast is generally used when leaving your fairway and going out into a channel.
If everyone in the local area is knows what one long blast immediately followed by three short blast means then it is OK, just confusing outside of the local area?
John
---===
On Jan 29, 2012, at 12:23 PM, Tom Barnes wrote:
I have worked in places where one prolonged and three shorts was called a four whistle signal. One long for departing a dock and three shorts for backing down.
Tom B.
Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
Begin forwarded message:
Joe and List,
There is no rule for a 4 Whistle or Horn signal! However, it may be a local signal which is permitted under the COLREGS.
I checked this out with my cousin who is a graduate of Kingspoint and has an unlimited tonnage USCG license.
I have worked in places where one prolonged and three shorts was called a four whistle signal. One long for departing a dock and three shorts for backing down.
Tom B.
Alan, Bill and List,
As I promised, I forwarded the posts regarding the use of a 4 Whistle / Horn Signal to my cousin who has an unlimited tonnage Captains license. His reply follows:
John
"Your forwarded E-mails are correct. Inland Rules specify the prolong followed by three short for vessel being towed one vessel or last vessel if manned. Four short blasts MAY be sounded as an identity signal by a pilot boat. These are restricted visability signals. Traffic signals i.e. overtaking in international waters uses a four blast signal by a vessel overtaking consisting of two prolong blasts followed by two short blasts vessel; overtaking another meaning I wish to overtake you on your port side (a port course change by vessel overtaking-memory aid two prolong means hey you twoshort means coming up your port side)."
---==
On Jan 29, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Alan Lloyd wrote:
I read somewhere that four whistles is understood to mean "pilot coming aboard" but I cannot remember my source.
Alan Lloyd
Great Loop Navigation Notes
- Whistles = Please help, I can't remember this one, can't locate it
nywhere. I do recall that I "Knew" it many years ago.
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Not to "prolong" this any further. But in a previous e-mail message this statement was made regarding restricted visability signals
"Four short blasts MAY be sounded as an identity signal by a pilot boat."
This is from Rule 35 (i) of which an important part was left off. The actual rule is ...
"A pilotage vessel when engaged on pilotage duty may in addition to the signals prescribed in paragraph (a), (b) or (g) of this Rule sound an identity signal consisting of four short blasts."
So, one needs to be clear on how to interpret a pilot vessel operating in restricted visability regarding the referenced rules. As such...
35 (a) Power underway, making way... One prolonged blast. So a pilot boat may sound one prolonged, four short blasts every 2 minutes.
35(b) Power underway, not making way...Two prolonged blasts. Hence, may sound two prolonged, four short every 2 minutes.
35(c,f,g) Which relates to a vessel not under command, at anchor or aground have their own signals ( whistles, bells and gongs) and if a pilot boat were in those situations would probably not consider itself engaged in piloting, hence would not combine those signals with the four short blasts.