Figure 5-3.—Flaghoist close up and at the dip

FLAGHOIST TERMINOLOGY LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Explain flaghoist terminology and the use of it when communicating with flaghoist. Every rating has its own vocabulary; the Signalman rating is no exception. You may already be familiar with some of the terms discussed in this section. Signal flags are stowed in the flag bag. It is not actually a bag, but derives its name from the metal frame covered with canvas, in which flags formerly were stowed. Most ships today are equipped with all-metal bags, which are fireproof and afford more protection for the flags. Halyards are numbered from outboard to inboard (1, 2, and so on). Hence, No. 1 starboard would be the outboard halyard on the starboard yardarm. When the end of a hoist gets away from you and flies out of your reach, you can recover it by using a retriever. A retriever is a separate line attached by a metal ring to each halyard. The retriever may be moved up and down by separate lines attached as part of such rigging. The Signalman who keeps a lookout for signals and calls them out to personnel handling the flags at the flag bag is called the spotter. The spotter will call out, “Stand by your bags,” when a signal is being made on another ship. That warning tells those personnel on the bags that a signal is being made and they should be ready to repeat it. The spotter calls out the complete hoist twice, then calls out, “Going up.” An example of an incoming signal is as follows: The spotter calls out, “Stand by your port/starboard bag. Signal in the air from the OTC. First hoist, BT—FORM 3, I say again BT—FORM 3, going up to the dip; second hoist, CORPEN STBD 275, I say again CORPEN STBD 275, going up to the dip; third hoist, SPEED 15—T13, I say again SPEED 15—T13, going up to the dip. End of hoist, end of signal.” Signal flags are bent onto the uphaul part of the halyard. The piece of halyard that is made fast to the last flag in a hoist (so the flags can be hauled down) is called the downhaul. When personnel on the bags have the downhaul secured to the last flag and are ready for the signal to be hoisted, they tell the person on the uphaul to “Take it up.” HOISTING SIGNALS A flaghoist is said to be “closed up” when its top is touching at the point of hoist. The point of hoist is the block attached to the yardarm through which the halyard carrying the hoist is rove. It is the highest point to which the signal can be raised. Signals when hoisted by the originator are normally hoisted closed up. A flaghoist is said to be “at the dip” when hoisted three-fourths of the way up to the point of hoist (fig. 5-3). Flaghoists made in answer to or to repeat the original signal are normally hoisted at the dip until understood; then they are hoisted close up. Relaying ships are always to repeat the flaghoist at the dip until it has been acknowledged by the ships for which they are responsible, after which they close up the signal. A flaghoist is said to be “hauled down” when it is returned to the deck. The moment of hauling down is the moment of execution unless the time of execution is otherwise indicated. The signal is to be acted upon as soon as understood, or the signification of a signal indicates that it is to be executed on dipping. Best results are achieved in flaghoist commun- ication when signals can be made as a single hoist and hauled down before another signal is hoisted. If the hoist is too long (when it cannot be displayed on one halyard), it is to be broken where a tack would normally be inserted. If the entire signal cannot be made on three halyards, it is usually advisable to make two or more hoists. When this is done, the heading is hoisted and left flying close up until completion of the signals. Figure 5-3.—Flaghoist close up and at the dip. 5-4