Horn protocol

[PathfinderEss]

I have a question for those in the know..........is there any protocol's involved in blowing a ships horn?. Why in some port of call do they and in others they don't? I presume it has to do with what a town or city noise laws are, right? I love to hear the ships horn blow...:D On our last cruise to the South Pacific our ship was the Westerdam, Captain was PJ. We hardly ever blew it, very disappointing for me...:( Do you think the Captains realize how much us passengers love hearing the horns? I always think that it is such a nice thing to do when leaving a port, its kind of like saying "thank you" for your hospitality...:) I love going to the Port Everglades web cam, to watch the ships depart and listen to them blow their horns. I get chills, I will admit I'm a sick women...;)

[RMLincoln]

There's a lot of that sickness going around! m--

[English_in_Spain]

There was a discussion on this subject recently on the Royal Caribbean board

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1523161&highlight=horn+at+night

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wish they would blow theirs whistles / horns more as well.

 

I love to hear them.

[YOW]

+1 for the horns... as a passenger aboard ship, it always gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. :)

 

(Though I could see how residents who live near the port could get tired of it, maybe... but then, duh, they live near a port! ;))

[mountainmare]

I just asked Captain Albert about this on his blog. His answer was that in general there are rules of horn use for navigational safety. Some ports forbid the use of goodbye horn blowing.

I've been watching the sailaways from Port Everglades and specifically was interested in rules there.

Captain Albert said that Port Everglades is different. There are some people who live in the condos along the channel that have HAL banners and flags and go out of their way to wave to the ships. In return the ships salute those loyal HAL cheerleaders with horn blowing. Also to salute a sister ship its three toots and a short answer back.

We had a Celebrity cruise where the captain didn't blow the horn at all, we did a Costa in Europe where the Captain saluted any people he saw, even when pasing the back side of Mt Stromboli.

[G&G]

Beware of what you wish for !

 

On our 2010 VOV cruise on the Maasdam, the ships horn blew every three (3) minutes day & night when there was fog; which occurred almost every sea day heading east. Many passengers in outside balcony cabins toward the front of the ship complained that they could not sleep due to the ship's horn :eek:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Beware of what you wish for !

 

On our 2010 VOV cruise on the Maasdam, the ships horn blew every three (3) minutes day & night when there was fog; which occurred almost every sea day heading east. Many passengers in outside balcony cabins toward the front of the ship complained that they could not sleep due to the ship's horn :eek:

Actually the Fog Horn and the Ship Whistle/Horn are actually two different sounds but on that subject strangley I find the Fog Horn comforting as well. I have been on many sailings where the Fog Horn was blowing day and night. One cruise on the Veendam we were on Navigation Deck in 002 right next to the Bridge and we had solid Fog all the way from Seattle to Los Angeles. Oddly it did not bother us at all :)

[catl331]

I, too, like the fog horn. Especially when one is out on the promenade and you can't see a thing. Some mystery to it. Had this happen from Seattle to first Alaskan port. Sure am happy there is radar though!

[cmdchiefthom]

These are the regulations from the Coast Guard's rules of the road. I'm sure its becoming a cruising tradition leaving Port Everglades, however if push came to shove, section five allows a single long blast when exiting a cross road, and if no one answers in the traffic pattern, I guess it would be OK to add several more long blasts to the recognition. I love hearing it both while onboard, and here at my puter waiting for my next sailaway!:D

 

 

 

 

1. One short blast (1 second): Shows an intention to pass on the starboard side of another vessel (right). The same signal is used whether you are passing another vessel bow to bow or you are passing a vessel from their stern. The vessel about to be overtaken shall, if in agreement, sound a similar sound signal. If in doubt the vessel should sound the danger signal. (See number 4 below).

 

2. Two short blasts: Shows an intention to pass on the port side of another vessel (left). The same signal is used whether you are passing another vessel bow to bow or you are passing a vessel from their stern. The vessel about to be overtaken shall, if in agreement, sound a similar sound signal. If in doubt 4. the vessel should sound the danger signal. (See number 4 below).

 

3. Three short blasts: Indicates the vessel's engines are going astern (in reverse). This is mainly used on larger vessels with restricted visibility or possible boat traffic passing by the stern. Most large vessels will have a deck hand or a person standing on the stern as a lookout with communications to the operator. Operators of small craft that are following a much larger vessel in a narrow channel or fairway should leave additional distance between them and the stern of a large vessel in case the large vessel starts to go astern.

 

4. Five or more short and rapid blasts: A danger signal used when the other vessel's intentions are not understood or where the other vessel's indicated course is dangerous. When vessels in sight of each other are approaching, and for whatever reason, either vessel fails to understand the intentions or actions of the other, or is in doubt whether sufficient action is being taken to avoid collision, the vessel in doubt may give at least five short and rapid blasts on the whistle.

 

5. Prolonged blast (4 to 6 seconds): One prolonged blast is a warning signal (for example, used when exiting a slip or coming around a blind corner). This signal should be answered with a prolonged blast by any approaching vessel that may be within hearing around the bend or behind an intervening obstruction. One prolonged plus two short blasts at intervals of not more than two minutes is the signal used by sailboats under sail alone. If you hear this signal slow and be sure of which vessel is moving. This is especially true if you are in a small boat entering or leaving a marina or dock system where other vessels are restricting your visibility. Always approach waterway intersections and crowded moorage areas with caution. Remember, always be ready to maneuver and have your attention on the operation of your vessel instead of other distractions in your vessel or on shore.

[sail7seas]

Sometimes on our Canada/New England cruises, particularly nearing Bar Harbor, we have a lot of fog and the fog horn sounds repeatedly. The first 30 minutes or so of it, I notice it but it quickly becomes background noise and doesn't bother me at all.....

Quite the opposite, I find it mystical and comforting and like it during the night. It does not keep me awake.

 

[rafinmd]

I know some HAL Canada/New England cruises go up the Saguenay Fjord. One of the great experiences on my recent cruise there was heading into Trinity Bay and blowing the whistle with multiple awesome echoes. Do HAL captains typically do that?

 

Roy

[Essiesmom]

I don't know if it is a Cunard tradition (don't remember from QM2) but on QE2, the ship's horn was always blown at noon. She had/has a marvelous, deep voice, and there were people who would drop everything to go on deck to hear the horn. EM

[zookiebird]

I love hearing the ships horn. If I could, I'd make it my cell phone ring tone!

[PathfinderEss]

Beware of what you wish for !

 

On our 2010 VOV cruise on the Maasdam, the ships horn blew every three (3) minutes day & night when there was fog; which occurred almost every sea day heading east. Many passengers in outside balcony cabins toward the front of the ship complained that they could not sleep due to the ship's horn :eek:

Have experienced the fog horn being used on several cruises and really didn't mind it. It is eerily comforting to know we're letting other ships know we are out there when it is foggy. To me, it seems the horn blowing when the ships are leaving a harbor is way different then the sound of the fog horn. Now there is another question - do they have more then one horn?

 

[Vic The Parrot]

Beware of what you wish for !

 

On our 2010 VOV cruise on the Maasdam, the ships horn blew every three (3) minutes day & night when there was fog; which occurred almost every sea day heading east. Many passengers in outside balcony cabins toward the front of the ship complained that they could not sleep due to the ship's horn :eek:

 

 

 

People like that don't deserve to be on a ship. :rolleyes:

[Himself]

I know they are not forbidden to blow the horns as we sail toward the Striats of Alaska when leaving Port Everglades. I love to hear them blow the horn.

[Vic The Parrot]

I don't know if it is a Cunard tradition (don't remember from QM2) but on QE2, the ship's horn was always blown at noon. She had/has a marvelous, deep voice, and there were people who would drop everything to go on deck to hear the horn. EM

 

 

 

It still is a tradition on Cunard.

 

On my recent QM2 voyages, there was always a noon whistle on sea days.

Sadly, HAL abandonded that tradition. Instead, they do an announcement at 10am (with Bingo of course, :rolleyes:) highlighting the days activities, and navigational info.

 

 

Guess that's why they changed "tradition" to "signature" ...

[msteries]

I, too, adore the traditional greetings! I seem to remember that the wonderful SS Norway used to get special salutes (maybe just from other NCL ships)?

 

After a few moments of anxiety (just how low IS the visibilty, are we going to crash...?) I find the fog horn sound soothing and romantic. So many of the new ships seem to have been designed to make people forget that they actually ARE at sea... And I love the sea!

 

Mary

[solocanadian]

I'm with you Melody. Love the ships horns, especially on the S class ships. That was a good toot-off yesterday at Port Everglades. We used to have an automatic fog horn in Richmond at the mouth of the Fraser River but it was decommissioned a few years ago. Still miss hearing it on a foggy night.

[TMWeddle]

All ships' horns are great, but I think the best are the Disney ones!

[lastlook]

You sort of "had to be there", but while waiting for the NA to depart Venice this past May, DH and I were napping in lounge chairs up top (Deck 11?) When the horn sounded, we were so startled that we literally half fell out of our lounge chairs - looked at each other and started laughing at ourselves - felt like one of those commercials!

 

I too have been watching the sail aways out of Port Everglades and enjoying the horn blasts and close ups of those waving goodbye - looking forward to "our turn" in March!!

[bet410]

Beware of what you wish for !

 

On our 2010 VOV cruise on the Maasdam, the ships horn blew every three (3) minutes day & night when there was fog; which occurred almost every sea day heading east. Many passengers in outside balcony cabins toward the front of the ship complained that they could not sleep due to the ship's horn :eek:

 

The same was done on the 2011 VoV cruise! Someone asked about this in one of those Q&A sessions with the officers. They explained that they have to blow the fog horn when it's very foggy. Much better that than having a maritime disaster! We had very thick fog for two or three days - sure seemed like we couldn't see more than ten feet. The captain said that they also use crew members on deck with binoculars (just like Titanic) as well as all the electronics that are available.

 

I also love the sound of the horn signaling its good-bye to a port as we leave and miss it when we don't hear it. Love hearing those horns in Port Everglades to get my fix between cruises!

[Caribbean Chris]

Talk about romantic...ship's horn makes me think of the movie "An Affair to Remember" when Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant are visiting his grandmother (Cathleen Nesbitt) in a Med port at her beautiful home when they hear the ship horn and know they must say goodbye, as it turns out, for the last time. Very emotional goodbye.

 

One of the all-time great ship flicks, IMHO.

[Indycal]

I LOVE the foghorn! It is my notification tone on my phone now. We were on the Canada/New England tour last September and we had fog quite often, so we heard the fog horn a lot. it was relaxing to me! Here is a short video with the HAL Eurodam foghorn: