No person owns the sea. Every day, commercial ships, giant yachts, cruise ships and sailors move across oceans, seas and lakes to their respective destinations. Some will go to ports to forward cargo while others will travel to look for adventure and new places to explore. Vessels generally pass and meet each other at various points around the globe every minute. Many times, ships will pass each other without even sending any message. Some are friendlier and will forward a message just to say “Hi!” or to ask for the other’s time or destination. Other vessels will exchange more complex messages. There are various modern technologies available today that make communication between vessels quite easy and convenient. However, if two ships come from different countries and the sailors speak different languages, it can be difficult to communicate. This is where nautical flags come in handy.
Nautical flags are featured by ships to forward messages to other vessels and inland structures. There are systems of flags that are used by different countries so that they can talk and forward distress signals whenever necessary. Learning the system will take some time and effort but you will soon realize how useful these can be in the long run. The primary objective of the flags has been the same through the years. Mainly, these offer protection and safety. The nautical flag can be used to communicate and get information about almost anything.
The flag is the most basic and is exclusively used by vessels anywhere. NATO vessels also display the flags with certain limitations. The details might only be known among the military to ensure that these cannot be decoded by enemy forces. Racing and regatta activities also use a unique flag system to forward messages. The nautical flag system is generally intended to improve communication between ships to ensure the safety of the people onboard.
Generally, flags have four main categories. The single flag can feature a number, letter, a message or indicate a copy of a flag previously displayed. These flags will reduce the need for multiple duplicates of a similar flag on the ship. The flags may also be used on their own. There are letter flags that will spell out words. Letter flags will also indicate a general message that will imply statements when used independently. There are two flags and three flags used in certain circumstances that will feature more detailed messages as presented by the International Code of Signals. The latest official issue was published in 1969 and it was revised in 2003. Many people have come to learn these signals over time, especially sailors and others who spend a lot of time at sea. You can check the different flag sections to know about nautical flags and use these accordingly. There are plenty of flag maker websites that can give you essential information about the history and uses of these flags. You can even learn some of the messages. Be familiar with these and display your own set when the opportunity comes.
Labels: custom flag, custom flag maker, custom flag. personalized flag, nautical flag
by:
The Flagman
