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Practical Boat Owner
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,…
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