One of the names for a
bosun's whistle, and also the name for the signals sounded on it. Also known as the bosun's pipe.
The simplest of the calls is known as the still. It is used to call the Ship's Company to attention for inspections, salutes, or ceremonies such as Sunset or Colours.
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Hi ---------------------------
Lo
That's it: five seconds of a high-pitched sound.
After the sounding of the still, the crew should be standing at attention. A companion call to the still is the carry on:
Time: 0 1 2 3 4 5
Hi ------
|
Lo -----
One of the more
well-known calls is
The Side. It is used when a
senior or
Flag officer comes aboard, or when a body is released during a
funeral:
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Hi /----------------\
// \\
// \\
Lo -------------/ \-----------
Sometimes confused with the side by
newbies, the
General Call is used to get the attention of the crew for relaying messages.
Time: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hi / /-\
/ / \
/ / \
Lo -/ --/ \
Of course, there are several other calls, most of which are difficult to render in ASCII art. I will probably try at a later date, though...
In addition to a standard call, there was also an Admiral's whistle, in gold, held by the High Admiral, and the whistle of command, in silver, held by the commanding officer of the vessel.