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At Sea: On the defunct language of nautical flags (2016)

theparisreview.org

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Re: At Sea: On the defunct language of nautical flags (2016)

#2
I remember a passage in one of the Aubrey/Maturin books, in which the ballroom at an onshore function is decorated with the following signal flags: https://tmg110.tripod.com/SigFl/sig-1.gif , presumably intended to encourage the navy men in attendance to "engage the [female party guests] more closely".

Re: At Sea: On the defunct language of nautical flags (2016)

#4

I remember a passage in one of the Aubrey/Maturin books, in which the ballroom at an onshore function is decorated with the following signal flags: https://tmg110.tripod.com/SigFl/sig-1.gif , presumably intended to encourage the navy men in attendance to "engage the [female party guests] more closely".

If I read it correctly those are Xray, Tango. Which means:

    XT Weather expected is bad.
Source: https://www.seasources.net/PDF/PUB102.pdf

Re: At Sea: On the defunct language of nautical flags (2016)

#5
post #4

I remember a passage in one of the Aubrey/Maturin books, in which the ballroom at an onshore function is decorated with the following signal flags: https://tmg110.tripod.com/SigFl/sig-1.gif , presumably intended to encourage the navy men in attendance to "engage the [female party guests] more closely".

If I read it correctly those are Xray, Tango. Which means: XT Weather expected is bad. Source: https://www.seasources.net/PDF/PUB102.pdf

You're looking at a 1969 international signal code; the books are set in 1800-1815, and that particular signal hoist (famously used by Nelson at Trafalgar) was in a Royal Navy code from 1799: https://tmg110.tripod.com/british21.htm