How to protect your boat in a storm in harbour, Essential checks for liftout, Second hand boat focus on the Bavaria 34, How to install…
Practical Boat Owner
December issue – 24 October
Monohulls vs multihulls: which one is best? Sailing downwind: how the pros do it, Where is the best place to stow your liferaft? Staying warm…
K
K flag K As a flag, or flashed in Morse code, -0-, it means, ‘I wish to communicate with you’. In the phonetic alphabet it is Kilo, pronounced ‘key-low’. Kedge…
L
L – Lima If someone flashes this at you in Morse code, .- •• it means, ‘You should stop your vessel immediately’. For radio-telephone work it is Lima, with the…
M
M – Mike (phonetic) Two dashes in Morse code, and means, ‘My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water’ in the International Code. Mike in phonetic M…
N
N – November (phonetic) Means ‘no’ or negative when made as a single-letter signal. Dash dot in Morse code, and November in phonetic. Nacelle A word deriving from the Latin…
O
Oscar (phonetic) As a single-letter signal, means ‘Man overboard’. It is three dashes in the Morse code, and Oscar in phonetic Oakum Teased-out fibres of old hemp rope which are…
P
P Flag P, the Blue Peter, is one of the best-known flags ashore and afloat. Its principal meaning when flown by a ship is, ‘about to proceed to sea ‘.…
Q
Q Flag The single-letter signal means, ‘My vessel is healthy and I request a free pratique’. The Q flag is flown on entering a foreign port, or returning home from…
R
Romeo (phonetic) Romeo in the phonetic and .-. in Morse. No meaning in the International Code. Race A fast-running stream or current, usually caused by the tide and occurring where…
S
Sierra (Phonetic) Sound signals – One to starboard, two to port, and three astern. The single letter S means, ‘My engines are going astern’, thus matching three hoots nearly (and…
T
T – tango T – tango 1) The single-letter signal means, ‘Keep clear of me, I am engaged in pair trawling’. This is an important signal for pleasure-craft skippers, and…
U
U – Uniform U – Uniform The single-letter signal is one that every skipper should know because it may be of some importance to him. If U (dot-dot-dash) is made…
V
V – Victor V – Victor V Signalled by any means, this one letter tells the world, ‘I require assistance’, Compare with W, and also note that this is not…
W
W-whiskey W-whiskey As a single-letter the signal means, ‘I require medical assistance’, and could therefore be one worth committing to memory. The Morse code .- – may be made by…
X
X (X-ray) X (X-ray) The single letter, which may be signalled by any means, conveys the message, ‘Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals’. In phonetic it…
Y
Y (Yankee) Y (Yankee) Means ‘I am dragging my anchor’, and that could be very significant if you yourself should be lying astern of a large vessel making Y. The…
Z
Z (Zulu) Z (Zulu) As signal it means, ‘I require a tug’. But when shown by a fishing vessel (which you will recognise by her lights or shapes), it means,…
£5.5million RYA payout to injured powerboater
The mother of injured powerboater Ben Ridd sued the Royal Yachting Association to cover the cost of his care
The 13th International Sailing Summit goes live
International Sailing Summit's ‘Waking up the sailing industry - how sailing needs to modernise, diversify and develop to attract and retain participants'
Photo released of missing sailor
Enquiries continue into the disappearance of missing sailor Leonard King on Sunday
Family’s concern over missing sailor
The missing sailor from Alfriston, East Sussex hasn't been seen Sunday