Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I remember when the "gong" requirement surfaced. I think it might have been the early eighties. The company I worked for went to work designing an electronic gong generator that would interface to the ship's PA system, This would have cost, at least, several hundred dollars. The shipping companies didn't want it. Instead, they came up with a (steel?) gong about 12 to 15 inches in diameter with a rope handle and a rubber mallet to strike it with. I never heard of one actually being used, but all boats had to have one to meet the requirements. Some of them can be found in the pilot house void or in the cabinet under the chart table. I've seen a few in a corner laying against the flare container. All of the ASC vessels had them. They are probably all still there somewhere around or under the chart room. Another curiosity like the black, double witches hat day shape for out of command.

My vessel does have a gong at the stern. Keep in mind those sound signals are only required when anchored in restricted visibility, not anytime at anchor.

I have sailed 26 yrs on the Lakes and our fleet I have only ever heard the whistle used. I know we have a bell on top of the dog house on the bow, but can never recall seeing a gong aboard.

I've never came across a gong, however on some of the freighters that we've located we have found a smaller bell mounted on the outside of the aft superstructure on the fan tail. We always assumed it was a "dinner" bell. Mind you in these times while in heavy fog, very rarely have we've heard bells and horns on the commercial vessels on the lakes in fog.

The thread about the Gott and it's whistle/horn reminded me to ask this question. I hope that some of our sailors on the board can answer this for me.

When I took my class to get a 100-gt captain's license for Inland Waters, I learned that a vessel more than 100 meters in length had to be equipped with a whistle, bell and a gong, the tone and sound of which could not be confused with the bell. This is listed in Rule 33.

The gong was used when at anchor: every minute, the bell was rung rapidly for about 5 seconds from the forward part of the ship, then the gong was sounded rapidly for 5 seconds from the aft part of the ship. Then the ship could also sound one short-one prolonged-one short on the whistle, to signal position.

There are variations on the signals to signal a grounded vessel, but the same 3 devices are still used. For a vessel underway or not underway but not aground or at anchor, only various whistle signals are required.

Do any of our lake vessels carry a gong? Do they ring the bell at anchor, or just use the whistle? I don't recall ever hearing bells or gongs from shore, I can only hear the whistle signals, even though they anchor fairly close sometimes.

I tried to ask questions of the instructor, but this was one of those "we'll teach you only what you need to pass the test" classes, and they didn't tolerate questions outside those parameters.