Ship's Horns

[Waverley]

Found this interesting item

There is an interesting story about these two huge ship’s horns from the RMS Windsor Castle. One was for steam and one was for air and they were mounted on the ship's funnel. These huge Swedish "Super Tyfons" were manufactured by Kockums Mekaniska Verkstad, Malmo, Sweden. The horn controls were situated on the bridge and had a special gate on it that prevented both horns being blown at the same time. One serving Captain had a reputation for being a bit of a show off, and before setting off from Cape Town one day he instructed that the safety gate from the siren control was to be removed. As the RMS Windsor Castle left the port the Captain sounded both horns at the same time and the tremendous noise produced shattered all the light bulbs and many of the glass faces on the panels in the wheelhouse! So now you know why one one horn was ever supposed to be sounded, and not both together!

[Dr. Edmund Carus]

Here is the Super Tyfon horn system rescued from the Norway/France in Alang. Magnificent noise!

http://www.hornwhistleboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=7210

Wasn't it the NDL liner Bremen - which had 5 whistles and a Nautophone - and terrified passengers by blowing the lot whenever departing Germany?

Cheers!

[KEV]

I remember Bremen-all the fish used to jump out the water (and a few divers!)

[NairB]

Here is the Super Tyfon horn system rescued from the Norway/France in Alang. Magnificent noise!

http://www.hornwhistleboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=7210

Wasn't it the NDL liner Bremen - which had 5 whistles and a Nautophone - and terrified passengers by blowing the lot whenever departing Germany?

Cheers!

Fantastic....I was privileged to be onboard the France (Norway) in Miami and standing above the Bridge (On the Sky Deck) taking in the view minding my own business, then Captain decided to Blast that horn. I nearly fell overboard with fright....maybe he new I was there and decided to scare the living daylights oot of me hahaha

What a fantastic noise. How could they allow her to be chopped up!!!....

She was beautiful as well.

-NairB

[Dr. Edmund Carus]

Here are Norway's horns as they were!

Cheers!

[Dr. Edmund Carus]

A bit of an aside but this is taken from "The New Yorker" (1935):

Robert M. Coates, The Talk of the Town, “Toot! Toot!,” The New Yorker, January 19, 1935, p. 10

ABSTRACT: Lengthy talk story about whistles in the harbor; ships signals, etc. Big liners go in for fancy whistles, often having several, and costing up in the hundreds of dollars. The Leviathan, is equipped with three. Most Cunarders have two steamwhistles of regular design, with a fixed pitch. The French Line goes in for steam sirens, which slide up the scale as they blow. The Ile-de-France has three of those. The Bremen has the most whistles of anybody: five, including a thing called a "Nautophone," which is somethin like a giant loudspeaker, only it whistles. Not all the whistles in the harbor during foggy periods are on vessels Many of them are attached to docks, piers, & other structure which, though stationary, are in danger of being run into. Some of the whistles are automatic. The foghorns send out routine warnings. The rest of the tootings come from vessels, speaking to each other as they pass. This they do by a fixed code, internationally accepted. Tells about them.

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A "whistling loudspeaker" - sounds interesting!

Cheers!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Not all the whistles in the harbor during foggy periods are on vessels Many of them are attached to docks, piers, & other structure which, though stationary, are in danger of being run into. Some of the whistles are automatic. The foghorns send out routine warnings. The rest of the tootings come from vessels, speaking to each other as they pass. This they do by a fixed code, internationally accepted. Tells about them.

I love this mental picture of the ships all milling around a harbour, chatting to each other and to the fixed points in the harbour structure! And doing so in their very own language too.

[Mauretania1907]

I have a tape of ships farewelling one which was going to be scrapped. It sounds as if they are all crying for her. Have just viewed the link to the France's horn, there were some views of it, but also her 'nose' (eww) it was up for sale too.

[Avariel]

The Costa Classica was docked near our ship - the SuperStar Virgo - on my last cruise. And I was wondering if there was a standard protocol for ships to "greet" each other. Does anyone know ?

[Andy F]

I was wondering if there was a standard protocol for ships to "greet" each other. Does anyone know ?

Not that I'm aware of Avariel.  It's certainly not unusual to exchange greetings, especially when encountering vessels of the same or sister lines (e.g. Cunard & P&O for example) but down to the Captains' I believe.  Can be quite amusing though when they do indulge themselves!