seconds. On a vessel of 100 meters or more, the bell
must be sounded in the fore part of the ship, followed
immediately by the rapid ringing of the gong for 5
seconds in the after part of the ship. A vessel at anchor
may, in addition, sound three blasts in
succession—one short, one prolonged, and one
short—to give warning of its position and of the
possibility of collision with an approaching vessel.
SUMMARY
In this chapter, you learned about some of your
navigational duties. You learned about the compass,
bearing and azimuth circle, and telescopic alidades.
You learn about navigational charts and publications
and the different aids to navigation. You learned about
the Rules of the Road, including steering, sailing,
lights, shapes, and sound signals for restricted
visibility. This chapter is just an introduction to your
navigational duties, so it is up to you to learn as much
as you can when you get the chance. While steaming
independently, ask your supervisor if you may go
down to the bridge to stand watch with the
Quartermaster of the watch. On some ships today,
Signalmen stand Quartermaster watches.
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