3 Blasts- Ft Lauderdale

[djg541]

Just curious,

In watchin sail aways I notice and enjoy each ship giving at least 3 long blasts of the ships horn when entering open water at Ft Lauderdale.( If not more)

Doing some research I found 3 long blasts is supposed to be the international signal for "man overboard".

Are the 3 blasts at Ft Lauderdale a local custom?

Im no "old salt". so I was wondering who may know.

Thanks in advance.

[M2D]

FL has a history of captains blowing the horn as they are leaving, 3 blasts isn't anything customary, just the horn blowing in general, some blow it 10+ times.

[sail7seas]

I once asked a Captain why they often toot three times when we leave port and he told me it is 'thanks for the hospitality'. :) Sounded lilke a good answer to me. :D

 

[aliaschief]

I once asked a Captain why they often toot three times when we leave port and he told me it is 'thanks for the hospitality'. :) Sounded lilke a good answer to me. :D

 

 

Some of the Hal ships really must receive some great "hospitality' from Port Everglades!:)

Edited April 1, 2012 by aliaschief

[IRL_Joanie]

FL has a history of captains blowing the horn as they are leaving, 3 blasts isn't anything customary, just the horn blowing in general, some blow it 10+ times.

 

Like the Westerdam a few weeks ago... 169 times we heard her blowing her DAM Horn and then the sound went out, so Lord only knows if she was still blasting away all night long or not:D

 

Joanie

[PathfinderEss]

I have no idea why they blow their horns 3 times. I think if it means thanks for your hospitality like Sails said, hey that sounds good to me. All I know is that I love to hear the horns and they can do it as much as they want. :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Like the Westerdam a few weeks ago... 169 times we heard her blowing her DAM Horn and then the sound went out, so Lord only knows if she was still blasting away all night long or not:D

 

Joanie

Joanie, if you are talking about the sailing we were on YES Captain Henk did keep blowing the horn well after we were past the condos :D Like I mentioned you may have noticed this on your cruise too, oddly those of us out on our balconies do not hear the horn nearly as loud as it comes thru on the web cam especially if you are towards the aft like we were. Plus I am sure if you went back into your cabin you might not have heard the horn at all. Now granted those cabins far forward probably did but I would suspect from about mid ship back it is not nearly has impressive as hearing on the web cam ;)

[Himself]

You can hear them if you are forward. I was celebrating Mass in the Hudson Room on two successive Sundays as we sailed away and I could hear the horns loud and clear.

[sail7seas]

Joanie, if you are talking about the sailing we were on YES Captain Henk did keep blowing the horn well after we were past the condos :D Like I mentioned you may have noticed this on your cruise too, oddly those of us out on our balconies do not hear the horn nearly as loud as it comes thru on the web cam especially if you are towards the aft like we were. Plus I am sure if you went back into your cabin you might not have heard the horn at all. Now granted those cabins far forward probably did but I would suspect from about mid ship back it is not nearly has impressive as hearing on the web cam ;)

 

 

Like everyone else, I, too, love the ship's horns but I would have been beside myself if I'd been aboard for that kind of incessant horn. Just me but sometimes it's too much of a good thing. :eek:

 

I get the same thrill at hearing it as everyone but really....... :D

 

(I know some disagree vehemently and I wish you loads of toot, toot, toot and I hope I'm not on the ship when it gets so excessive. ) :o

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many years ago when we first started sailing out of Ft Lauderdale, we asked a captain why they blew their whistle when we left.

 

He replied that it started when several people in the Condos blew their horns and flashed their lights to wish the ships a Bon Voyage. And the ships responded back.

 

That was on a Princess ship.

[Linda VH]

They are also supposed to blow their horn as they approach open water to let other water craft know they are coming out. We live on the intracoastal in FL and when boats leave the harbor across the way they always blow their horns to let other boats know they are coming out. Yes, I know they can see the ship :D but it is something all boaters are taught so it makes sense to blow at least once.

[jtl513]

Like everyone else, I, too, love the ship's horns but I would have been beside myself if I'd been aboard for that kind of incessant horn.

Ditto. I'll bet some of the people in those condos and apartments along the inlet must really "love" the Westerdam. :rolleyes:

[RSWBADGER]

Just curious,

In watchin sail aways I notice and enjoy each ship giving at least 3 long blasts of the ships horn when entering open water at Ft Lauderdale.( If not more)

Doing some research I found 3 long blasts is supposed to be the international signal for "man overboard".

Are the 3 blasts at Ft Lauderdale a local custom?

Im no "old salt". so I was wondering who may know.

Thanks in advance.

 

I posted this last week from a 1986 Sun-Sentinel Article.

 

Port Everglades harbor pilots, who guide oil tankers and cruise ships through the port`s short channel every day, call the 24-year-old ritual the ``Condo Salute.``

 

 

``It`s a big event,`` said Thurston, a Sky Harbour resident for 17 years. ``It`s a fun thing, absolutely.``

 

The Condo Salute dates back to 1964, when Sky Harbour East was the first condominium built on the north side of the port`s entrance.

Ivy Smith, one of the 16-story building`s original tenants, said the tradition began with about a dozen residents.

``It was like a big club,`` said Smith, who rings a large school bell when ships pass by.

 

Thurston, who lives on the 15th floor with her husband, Albert, said saluting ships was simply another reason for neighbors to socialize back then.

``It was an excuse to have a party,`` she said.

 

Sky Harbour East is the condominium closest to the channel, but the Condo Salute grew in popularity as other nearby condominiums -- Points of Americas I and II, Everglades and Atlantic Towers -- were built.

Residents keep track of cruise ship arrivals and departures by checking the Port Everglades Cruise Guide. At other times, it is by word of mouth.

 

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1988-11-28/news/8803090561_1_cruise-ship-port-everglades-ship-arrivals

[Copper10-8]

They are also supposed to blow their horn as they approach open water to let other water craft know they are coming out. We live on the intracoastal in FL and when boats leave the harbor across the way they always blow their horns to let other boats know they are coming out. Yes, I know they can see the ship :D but it is something all boaters are taught so it makes sense to blow at least once.

 

Great explanation and I'm sure true for smaller vessels, however, the HAL ships do it strictly to "greet" some of the condo residents (the ones out on their balconies with HAL/U.S. flags, air horns, cow bells (we need more cow bell;)), whistles, you name it. Some captains request permission from the Port Everglades pilot on the bridge to do it

[captseaton]

Looks like I'm a little late to the party, but I will throw in my 2 cents.

 

First, I have to explain the difference between short and prolonged blasts. A short blast is defined as less than 3 seconds. A prolonged blast is between 4-7 seconds (or longer).

 

The muster drill on a ship is preceded by 7 short blasts followed by 1 long blast on the ships horn or whistle.

 

It is customary for smaller vessels to use 1 long blast when leaving a dock. Ships operating in a port area, with pilot aboard, generally only use horn signals when absolutely necessary.

 

The 3 prolonged blasts given by cruise ships are called the "show blast". 3 short blasts would indicate the vessel as engaged astern propulsion (preparing to travel in reverse). 3 long blasts have no meaning, it is a horn signal without an assigned definition.

 

When someone states the 3 blasts "have no meaning". They are correct.

[Alphen]

3 short horn blasts, means “I am going backwards or astern”, so 3 blasts are not without meaning.

 

Three long blast also have a meaning, they are meaning internationally (when leaving a harbor) “I am crossing”.

[serendipity1499]

Just curious,

In watchin sail aways I notice and enjoy each ship giving at least 3 long blasts of the ships horn when entering open water at Ft Lauderdale.( If not more)

Doing some research I found 3 long blasts is supposed to be the international signal for "man overboard".

Are the 3 blasts at Ft Lauderdale a local custom?

Im no "old salt". so I was wondering who may know.

Thanks in advance.

 

Great explanation and I'm sure true for smaller vessels, however, the HAL ships do it strictly to "greet" some of the condo residents (the ones out on their balconies with HAL/U.S. flags, air horns, cow bells (we need more cow bell;)), whistles, you name it. Some captains request permission from the Port Everglades pilot on the bridge to do it

 

http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/bigships/communications.html

 

Sound signals

 

Familiarise yourself with what different sound signals mean. The more common sound signals you may hear are:

 

Click on the links to listen to the sound files:

• one short blast: “I am altering my course to starboard”
  
• two short blasts: “I am altering my course to port”
  
• three short blasts: “I am operating a stern propulsion”
  
• five short blasts: “I am in doubt about your action taken to avoid collision”
  
• one long blast: “I am nearing a bend where another vessel may be obscured by an intervening obstruction”
  

[engrstudent]

when my wife and I were sailing aboard the Oosterdam for our honeymoon in Alaska it was so foggy on the last sea day the horn was blasted every few minutes. You could also hear the horns of the other cruise ships coming back from Alaska (Princess trailed us the entire trip). Let me tell you it got old really quickly! It is interesting sailing around in such dense fog though that you cannot see more than 10 feet from your balcony!

[Scrapnana]

Regardless of any meaning, I just enjoy hearing the toots on the sailaways.:D:D:D

[RedmondCruiser]

When the old Westerdam sailed for the first time out of Ft Lauderdale no horn was sounded. The captain was castigated by the local press and never did it again.

I'm a traditionalist and like three long blasts and thats it.

[catl331]

and then you have the Disney ships that play Disney songs with their horns as the leave the port. Leaving Nassau last wk on the Dream, cruisers on the nearby Carnival Breeze went wild for the music. People on both ships kept yelling and screaming and clapping. I wonder if the other 3 (yes, FIVE ships) heard anything. It's a small world!:)