Flag hoist

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Flag hoist
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Flags
Although you may never see them displayed except
at fleet parades, around naval installations, and
areas with heavy international shipping traffic.
International code flags are used to signal
between two ships or between ship and shore, also
called signalling flags, they are a set of flags
of different colours, shapes and markings which
used singly or in combination have different
meanings. The flags include 26 square flags which
depict the letters of the alphabet, ten numeral
pennants, one answering pennant, and three
substituters or repeaters.
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Flags

• Only a few colours can be readily distinguished
  at sea. These are red, blue, yellow, black, and
  white and these cannot be mixed
  indiscriminately.
• You will notice, for clarity, the flags shown are
  either red and white, yellow and blue, blue and
  white, or black and white besides plain red,
  white, and blue.

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Flags

• One-flag signals are urgent or very common
  signals
• Two-flag signals are mostly distress and
  manoeuvring signals.
• Three-flag signals are for points of the compass,
  relative bearings, standard times, verbs,
  punctuation, also general code and decode
  signals.
• Four-flags are used for geographical signals,
  names of ships, bearings, etc.
• Five-flag signals are those relating to time and
  position.
• Six-flag signals are used when necessary to
  indicate north or south or east or west in
  latitude and longitude signals.
• Seven-flags are for longitude signals containing
  more than one hundred degrees.

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Single letter flag hoist
Alfa (alpha) Diver down, keep clear
Bravo Im taking in, discharging or
carryingdangerous goods
Charlie Yes (affirmative)
Delta -- Keep clear of me, Im manoeveringwith
difficulty
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Single letter flag hoist
Echo I am altering my course to starboard
Foxtrot Im disabled, communicate with me
Golf I require a pilot
Hotel I have a pilot on board
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Single letter flag hoist
India Im altering my course to port
Juliet Keep clear, Im on fire and
havedangerous cargo
Kilo I wish to communicate with you
Lima You should stop your vessel instantly
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Single letter flag hoist
Mike My vessel is stopped and making no way
November No (Negative)
Oscar -- Man overboard
Papa Im about to proceed to sea
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Single letter flag hoist
Quebec -- My vessel is "healthy" and I
requestfree practique
Romeo
Sierra I am operating astern propulsion
Tango Keep clear of me, Im engaged in
pairtrawling
10
Single letter flag hoist
Uniform You are running into danger
Victor I Require assistance
Whiskey I Require medical assistance
Xray -- Stop your intentions and wait for my
signals
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Single letter flag hoist
Yankee I Am dragging my anchor
Zulu I Require a tug
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Letter flags
1 2 3 4 5 
6 7 8 9 0 
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Repeat First Flag
Repeat Second Flag
Repeat Third Flag
Decimal (point) and Answering pennant
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Examples, two flag signals
AC - I am abandoning my vessel. LO - I am not in my correct position used by a light vessel. RU - Keep clear of me I am maneuvering with difficulty.
AN - I need a doctor. NC - I am in distress and require immediate assistance. SO - You should stop your vessel instantly.
BR - I require a helicopter. PD - Your navigation lights are not visible. UM - The Harbour is closed to traffic.
CD - I require immediate assistance. PP - Keep well clear of me. UP - Permission to enter Harbour is urgently requested. I have an emergency.
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Answering pennant
At the dip The code flag hoisted "at the
dipindicates that the receiver has seen the
signal fromthe transmitting ship
Close up The code flag hoisted "close up"
indicates that the receiver has understood the
signal from the transmitting ship
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Nation flag

• Meaning
• This flag indicates the nationality of the vessel
• Place
• On board of a vessel the nation flag may only be
  hoisted at the following places
• When the vessel is sailing, at the smallest mast
  or the one placed most aft.
• In every other circumstance, in the mast on the
  stern of the vessel
• It is strictly prohibited to place other
  flags than your nation flag on these places!

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Courtesy flag

• Meaning
• The courtesy flag is a little nation flag of the
  country one is visiting
• Place
• The courtesy flag is hoisted at the starboard
  yard of the front mast. If there is no yard, than
  the flag may be hoisted to the top of the front
  mast.
• The courtesy flag will never be hoisted in the
  mast on the stern of the vessel.

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Courtesy flag
Remark Saoudi Arabia This country has two nation
flags one for its own and one for visitors. The
visitors must use the first flag. Here the sword
is pointed at the mast. Symbolically, you point
the sword to yourself and not to the
country. Saoudi Arabia uses the second flag. Her
the sword is pointed away from the mast.
Symbolically it is pointed to the visitors and
protects the country.