Maritime Signal Flags

These flags are used at sea for communication between ships. They can spell out short messages, and individual flags and various combinations of flags also have special meanings. On ceremonial and festive occasions the signal flags are used to 'dress' (decorate) ships.

This signalling system was drafted in 1855 and published in 1857, and was gradually adopted by most seafaring countries. It was revised in 1932.

Usage

International Maritime Signal Flags

Special meanings of individual flags

Sample text

England excepts that every man will do his duty

Transliteration

England expects that every man will do his duty.
- this was the signal sent by Admiral Horatio Nelson on 21 October 1805 from his flagship HMS Victory just before the Battle of Trafalgar began.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_expects_that_every_man_will_do_his_duty

Links

Further details of Martime Signal Flags
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/flags.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_maritime_signal_flags
http://www.marinewaypoints.com/learn/flags/flags.shtml

International Signal Flags Translator (Maritime Signal Flags & Semaphore Flags)
http://www.marinewaypoints.com/learn/flagtrans/flags.shtml

Other signal flag systems
http://www.pem.org/archives/guides/signals.htm

Signalling at sea
http://home.earthlink.net/~mcmillanj/signals/Signals.html

Language-based communication systems

Maritime Signal Flags, Morse code, Semaphore

Page last modified: 23.04.21

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