If you ’ rhenium curious as to the deep meaning behind these signals, here ’ s some nautical flags know-how .
1. Shapes and types are important.
nautical flags largely take the forms of squares, though you ’ ll besides see pendants, which are trilateral with a flat tip off. You ’ ll additionally see what ’ s called substitutes ( alternately called repeaters ), which are triangles. Since this is a “ flags 101 ” article, we ’ ll focus on the squares and pendants. They ’ re the ones you ’ re more probably to see in common boating situations .
2. Learn the letters and numbers.
There are 26 square nautical flags, each representing a different letter of the alphabet. More accurately, each represents the international code news connected to the letters of the rudiment, such as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and so on. In accession, there are 10 pendants for the numbers zero through nine. For the numbers 10 and larger, a boat would combine flags.
3. Colors are by choice.
The only colors you ’ ll find on nautical flags are black, blue, red, yellow, and white. These colors stand out quite well when seen with your own eyes on the horizon or through binoculars. Flags can be a solid color or a combination of colors, excessively .
4. Solo or combined, nautical flags convey meaning.
Depending on the intend message, boats fly one flag or up to seven flags in a row.
Read more: How Maritime Law Works
- For example, if you see the A (Alpha) flag, this means “diver down, keep clear.”
- If you see the W (Whiskey) flag, the boat has a medical emergency and needs help.
- The combination of the D (Delta) and V (Victor) flags, meanwhile, means “I’m maneuvering with difficulty and require assistance.”
- The J (Juliet) and L (Lima) flags mean “you’re running the risk of going aground.”
In fact, signals with two nautical flags typically mean some type of distress or maneuvering issue. Three or more flags can include pendants and announce things like points of the compass, geographic signals, names of ships, clock and position, arsenic well as latitude and longitude.
Read more: Maritime search and rescue – Documentary
5. Flags are sometimes exclusive or secret language.
While boaters around the populace manipulation nautical flags to communicate common scenarios, particular situations call for their own linguistic process. Race committees combine flags to convey a race is four minutes from begin, for example, or that a run has been shortened. The U.S. Navy groups together signals in ways known alone to its personnel to communicate with its fellow ships .
read following : basic Boating Etiquette
You Might Also Like:
