Using ships horns properly.. an FYI

[Warlord_Deadeye_Pete]

Whistle sound signals at sea come in two varieties, according to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS): a short blast and a prolonged blast. The short blast means a blast of about one second’s duration, while a prolonged blast is four to six seconds long. Think of these two different types of blasts as options to use in combinations.

Rule 34 of COLREGS describes maneuvering and warning signals for vessels. In international waters, when a power driven vessel is underway and in sight of other boats and ships, the following whistles indicate its maneuvers …

One short blast: I am altering my course to starboard.

Two short blasts: I am altering my course to port.

Three short blasts: I am operating astern propulsion.

Operating astern propulsion does not mean that the vessel is already making way in reverse. It is an alert that the thrust has been reversed and the vessel expects to be going backward soon. The heavier the vessel, the longer it will take to gather sternway.

Five or more short blasts are used when vessels are approaching in sight of one another and the intentions or actions of one of the vessels is not understood by the other. Another reason to use this signal is when in doubt that a potential collision will be avoided. If danger lurks, think of signaling at least ‘five short and rapid blasts on the whistle’ to the other vessel.

(Additional signals when passing/overtaking.)

Two prolonged blasts followed by one short blast: I intend to overtake you on your starboard side.

Two prolonged blasts followed by two short blasts: I intend to overtake you on your port side.

The overtaken ships shall indicate her agreement by the following signal on her whistle …

One prolonged, one short, one prolonged and one short blast, in that order.

(If you do not hear the reply.. be aware the over taken ship may suddenly maneuver radically and without warning because your freaking them out.. my words. not the articles)

.................................................. above text taken from allatsea.net article on horn signals ..........................................................................

If you insist on signalling with your horn at the beginning of a match I suggest the "Port Salute" used when underway and leaving an anchorage which is 2 short and one long blasts.

I do it all the the time and it does signal that I am "in" my ship and active.

 

I figured correctly that most of you are pretty clueless about horn signals and what they mean.  so maybe this will clarify.   Considering these horn signals have been an international standard for possibly more then a century.... yea we might as well use them correctly.

Port=Left

Starboard=Right

The words "port" and "left" are both 4 letters.. Makes a good memory trigger to keep it strait.  It's how ya learn it in the Sea Scouts!

 

Warlord sends

[rutilius83]

UTGood post sir

It would be lovely if horns were used as intended. To be honest I don't think a Torp across the bow would get some players attention.it makes me glad they are driving pixel ships and not out on the water with me. I

[DuckyShot]

Lol. Oh wait, you're serious. 

[xalmgrey]

Seeing a post like this makes me want to lay on the horn when i start a match.

If it bothers you so much you have a pretty small plate of things to worry about.

Its a game man. Lighten up.

[Navalpride33]

28 minutes ago, TL_Warlord_Roff said:

Whistle sound signals at sea come in two varieties, according to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS): a short blast and a prolonged blast. The short blast means a blast of about one second’s duration, while a prolonged blast is four to six seconds long. Think of these two different types of blasts as options to use in combinations.

Rule 34 of COLREGS describes maneuvering and warning signals for vessels. In international waters, when a power driven vessel is underway and in sight of other boats and ships, the following whistles indicate its maneuvers …

One short blast: I am altering my course to starboard.

Two short blasts: I am altering my course to port.

Three short blasts: I am operating astern propulsion.

Operating astern propulsion does not mean that the vessel is already making way in reverse. It is an alert that the thrust has been reversed and the vessel expects to be going backward soon. The heavier the vessel, the longer it will take to gather sternway.

Five or more short blasts are used when vessels are approaching in sight of one another and the intentions or actions of one of the vessels is not understood by the other. Another reason to use this signal is when in doubt that a potential collision will be avoided. If danger lurks, think of signaling at least ‘five short and rapid blasts on the whistle’ to the other vessel.

(Additional signals when passing/overtaking.)

Two prolonged blasts followed by one short blast: I intend to overtake you on your starboard side.

Two prolonged blasts followed by two short blasts: I intend to overtake you on your port side.

The overtaken ships shall indicate her agreement by the following signal on her whistle …

One prolonged, one short, one prolonged and one short blast, in that order.

(If you do not hear the reply.. be aware the over taken ship may suddenly maneuver radically and without warning because your freaking them out.. my words. not the articles)

.................................................. above text taken from allatsea.net article on horn signals ..........................................................................

If you insist on signalling with your horn at the beginning of a match I suggest the "Port Salute" used when underway and leaving an anchorage which is 2 short and one long blasts.

I do it all the the time and it does signal that I am "in" my ship and active.

 

I figured correctly that most of you are pretty clueless about horn signals and what they mean.  so maybe this will clarify.   Considering these horn signals have been an international standard for possibly more then a century.... yea we might as well use them correctly.

Port=Left

Starboard=Right

The words "port" and "left" are both 4 letters.. Makes a good memory trigger to keep it strait.  It's how ya learn it in the Sea Scouts!

 

Warlord sends

I hate to break it to ya OP but must people dont even know have to use their car horns...

Good write up but I dont see the case in its practical use in game.

[Raytesh]

It's good to know all this stuff but most times people can't un-zoom from the gun sites to see they are about to plow into you. 

[Hermetica]

The chances of enough people reading this for it to become common enough knowledge to be at all likely to be of use is probably ≤ 0.01%, but I appreciate the information nonetheless. I, for one, will definitely use the horn greeting listed above.

[Landsraad]

59 minutes ago, TL_Warlord_Roff said:

Rule 34 of COLREGS...

...is that if a horn exists on the internet, it can and will be used for porn.

[Crucis]

1 hour ago, TL_Warlord_Roff said:

Whistle sound signals at sea come in two varieties, according to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS): a short blast and a prolonged blast. The short blast means a blast of about one second’s duration, while a prolonged blast is four to six seconds long. Think of these two different types of blasts as options to use in combinations.

Rule 34 of COLREGS describes maneuvering and warning signals for vessels. In international waters, when a power driven vessel is underway and in sight of other boats and ships, the following whistles indicate its maneuvers …

One short blast: I am altering my course to starboard.

Two short blasts: I am altering my course to port.

Three short blasts: I am operating astern propulsion.

Operating astern propulsion does not mean that the vessel is already making way in reverse. It is an alert that the thrust has been reversed and the vessel expects to be going backward soon. The heavier the vessel, the longer it will take to gather sternway.

Five or more short blasts are used when vessels are approaching in sight of one another and the intentions or actions of one of the vessels is not understood by the other. Another reason to use this signal is when in doubt that a potential collision will be avoided. If danger lurks, think of signaling at least ‘five short and rapid blasts on the whistle’ to the other vessel.

(Additional signals when passing/overtaking.)

Two prolonged blasts followed by one short blast: I intend to overtake you on your starboard side.

Two prolonged blasts followed by two short blasts: I intend to overtake you on your port side.

The overtaken ships shall indicate her agreement by the following signal on her whistle …

One prolonged, one short, one prolonged and one short blast, in that order.

(If you do not hear the reply.. be aware the over taken ship may suddenly maneuver radically and without warning because your freaking them out.. my words. not the articles)

.................................................. above text taken from allatsea.net article on horn signals ..........................................................................

If you insist on signalling with your horn at the beginning of a match I suggest the "Port Salute" used when underway and leaving an anchorage which is 2 short and one long blasts.

I do it all the the time and it does signal that I am "in" my ship and active.

 

I figured correctly that most of you are pretty clueless about horn signals and what they mean.  so maybe this will clarify.   Considering these horn signals have been an international standard for possibly more then a century.... yea we might as well use them correctly.

Port=Left

Starboard=Right

The words "port" and "left" are both 4 letters.. Makes a good memory trigger to keep it strait.  It's how ya learn it in the Sea Scouts!

 

Warlord sends

Sorry, but that's too complex.  I just toot my horn when I'm trying to warn a friendly of my presence. 

The one problem I have with the horns is this.  Remember back when they had that sound fiasco with an semi recent update?  I actually liked the loud horn.  I personally think that they toned down the max sound levels too much to the point that the max settings are ridiculously low.  They should set the middle/average sound level at what seems like a moderate level of sound, and allow the user to let the max sound level actually be LOUD.  I swear that I can barely hear the sound of a VERY nearby friendly ship's horn.  And my own horn really isn't particularly loud either, on max setting.

This stinks IMO because when I want to properly use my horn to warn a friendly of my proximity, it doesn't do anyone any good if you can't even hear it.

 

[Warlord_Deadeye_Pete]

As a BTW what brought this up was a recent incident of a near collision between a US DD and a Russian ELINT gathering frigate.  At one point the US DD warned the Russian ship off using 5 short blasts of the horn.. the Russian ship complied and a collision was avoided.

   

[BrushWolf]

I usually start the match with a captains salute, one long and two short or three long. We don't have enough horn time for the three long so I do the one long, two short version.

 

[Jagdpanzer131]

I guess that was an interesting nautical lesson but this isn't a sailing simulator game. The only use me and many others have for the horn is just using it like a car horn to prevent ramming into each other. 

[TheArc]

You are going to have a hell of a time typing all of that out at the beginning of every match start up but I applaud your desire and dedication to  proper maritime horn tootin'.

[Umikami]

1 hour ago, TL_Warlord_Roff said:

Rule 34 of COLREGS describes maneuvering and warning signals for vessels. In international waters, when a power driven vessel is underway and in sight of other boats and ships, the following whistles indicate its maneuvers …

One short blast: Someone is in my way.

Two short blasts: They haven't moved yet.

Three short blasts: MOVE NOW!

Five or more short blasts are used when I have topless sunbathers on the martini deck and I want them to roll over quickly, forgetting they don't have their tops secured.

(Additional signals when drinking heavily.)

Two prolonged blasts: There is another boat in front of me who has female passengers that are even better looking than my female passengers and I want them to notice me and my boat.

Two prolonged blasts followed by two short blasts: Come on over it's Happy Hour!

One prolonged, one short, one prolonged and one short blast, in that order: The drinks are ready and I can see you're halfway tanked already!

[ruggus99]

I guess the use of the navigation lights is out of the question.

[MajorRenegade]

1 hour ago, Ducky_shot said:

Lol. Oh wait, you're serious. 

[Edgecase]

Fun info, but there's no way to get out multiple long blasts in this time-compressed game. Never mind the air can they have hooked up the horn isn't big enough.

Although I'm sure it would be amusing if we just made all the horn signals 3-5x speed as well.

[Kebobs22]

Nobody cares, we mostly use horns for fun. an FYI

[Warlord_Deadeye_Pete]

Wrong.. some of us do care.. else there would not be a post about it.. It just that YOU don't care.  

[JediMasterDraco]

Considering Wargaming favors the lowest common denominator when it to IQ points, I don't think this will have much effect.

[RagingxMarmoset]

1 hour ago, BrushWolf said:

I usually start the match with a captains salute, one long and two short or three long. We don't have enough horn time for the three long so I do the one long, two short version.

 

I got some photos and video of Tregutha on my last trip to Duluth. She’s the first Laker I’ve seen in person. Absolute unit. 

[BrushWolf]

1 minute ago, RagingxMarmoset said:

I got some photos and video of Tregutha on my last trip to Duluth. She’s the first Laker I’ve seen in person. Absolute unit. 

She is huge, 1014 feet.

[Nolo_00]

I'm still trying to figure out if there's a ship horn in game I can pull something close to this off with.

 

[Warlord_Deadeye_Pete]

The devs limited the amount of time you can use the ships horn to keep folks from being annoying with them.  so yea, sorry no concerto's!

 

[Nolo_00]

8 minutes ago, TL_Warlord_Roff said:

The devs limited the amount of time you can use the ships horn to keep folks from being annoying with them.  so yea, sorry no concerto's!

 

Finding a way to be annoying to other players? The WoWs playerbase? Unpossible!