Abbreviation | General Nautical Terminology | Nautical Topics | Navigation | Signals & Communication
Beacon (Bn,Bns)
A fixed aid to navigation that marks a position, hazard, boundary or route.
Signals & Communication
Signals and communication in the marine world are like a game of charades with the ocean as your stage. Picture a crew furiously waving flags screaming, “We’re out of snacks!” while another ship squints, trying to decode whether that’s a distress call or just terrible semaphore skills. Horns blast at decibels high enough to wake Poseidon, with meanings ranging from “I’m turning left” to “Move it or lose it!” And let’s not forget Morse code—nothing says “urgent message” like blinking a flashlight at a seagull for hours. Meanwhile, the VHF radio crackles with static and a dozen accents yelling about the weather, leaving everyone more confused than enlightened. It’s a symphony of organised chaos where somehow, miraculously, no one crashes into an iceberg. Usually.
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Numeral 0 (Flag Pennant)
The International Code of Signals numeral pennant representing zero. It is one of ten distinct numeral pennants used to express figures within a flag signal. Its meaning depends on the complete group and the procedure under which the signal is being made. The pennant is a visual signal and is distinct from the spoken radiotelephony…
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Numeral 1 (Flag Pennant)
The International Code of Signals numeral pennant representing one. It is one of ten distinct numeral pennants used to express figures within a flag signal. Its meaning depends on the complete group and the procedure under which the signal is being made. The pennant is a visual signal and is distinct from the spoken radiotelephony…
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2 – Two (TOO)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit two. It is spoken as “TOO” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. Standard pronunciations reduce misunderstandings caused by noise, weak signals, accent or language differences and are separate from the letter spelling alphabet. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for two, shown on…
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3 – Three (TREE)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit three. It is spoken as “TREE” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. The initial sound is deliberately distinct and belongs to a standard set of numeral pronunciations, not to the letter spelling alphabet. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for three, shown on…
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4 – Four (FOW-er)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit four. It is spoken as “FOW-er” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. The two-syllable form helps distinguish it in difficult reception conditions and does not mean a fourth officer or engineering rank. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for four, shown on this…
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5 – Five (FIFE)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit five. It is spoken as “FIFE” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. The pronunciation helps prevent the final consonant being lost in noise and is not a special nautical quantity or chart symbol. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for five, shown on…
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6 – Six (SIX)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit six. It is spoken as “SIX” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. Although its pronunciation is unchanged from ordinary English, it forms part of the standard numeral set used for consistent radio communication. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for six, shown on…
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7 – Seven (SEV-en)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit seven. It is spoken as “SEV-en” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. The stressed first syllable forms part of a standard numeral set and seven is not a letter in the phonetic alphabet. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for seven, shown on…
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8 – Eight (AIT)
The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit eight. It is spoken as “AIT” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. In this context the spelling shows pronunciation and does not refer to an ait, the separate geographical word for a small river island. The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for eight,…
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
