Anyone Have a Bell? How/Where Did You Mount it?

[Jetexas]

I inherited a ship's bell this weekend. I believe it was originally off a Mississippi riverboat.

Anyone have a bell mounted on their sailboat, and if so, how and where did you mount it. I only have a 27-footer, so I'm thinking I could either put it in the bow pulpit or I could add a tower in the back for the bell and eventually a wind generator.

If you have one, please post a photo.

Ship's bell | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Jetexas

I inherited a ship's bell this weekend. I believe it was originally off a Mississippi riverboat.

Anyone have a bell mounted on their sailboat, and if so, how and where did you mount it. I only have a 27-footer, so I'm thinking I could either put it in the bow pulpit or I could add a tower in the back for the bell and eventually a wind generator.

If you have one, please post a photo.

Ship's bell | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Nice bell, but it looks more likes train bell than a ships bell.

[bob perry]

I'd put it on your handle bars.

[Mark1977]

I have a ships bell mounted inside on the bulkhead, for decoration only. I have taken out the thingy inside that makes it chime. For some reason when alcohol gets in voled, someone has to keep ringing the damn bell. Thats a nice old bell but i would leave it on a shelve somewhere in your house.

[Simes]

That is a nice bell. I would mount it on the fore / aft line of the vessel, just aft of the mast. Remove the clapper and then use a small "toffee" hammer to strike the bell at the appropriate time.

Simes

[Lancerbye]

Wow . That's a nice bell. I have a small bell which uses a single point, hanger type bulkhead mount. The clapper is removed.lol

[SkiprJohn]

That's a beauty of a bell!

Most ship's bells designed for small boats have a single point hanger at the top. I can see that yours could be mounted that way by taking it off the current apparatus and building an arm to fit the top. Might be too hard though. You could remove it then hang it from the boom or the dodger with a piece of line when you wanted to use it.

In the old days I stored my bell below on a bracket and tied the clapper to one side. When you needed it for fog signals there was a twin bracket mounted to the aft side of the cabin top or on the aft side of the mizzen mast so that you could reach it from the cockpit.

kind regards,

[sarafina]

What Skipper sez... only at the moment we have the bell but no mount... I have been searching for two years for the little metal bracket that you mount this style bell in... can't buy them for love or money. If anyone has a spare old one or knows where to find one...

In San Francisco and on the delta they are pretty handy in the fog..

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Bash

Nice bell, but it looks more likes train bell than a ships bell.

It appears to be a model (scaled-down version) of a railroad locomotive's bell.

I'm relieved that regulations have been changed so that they are no longer required on boats less than 12 meters LOA.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by markpierce

I'm relieved that regulations have been changed so that they are no longer required on boats less than 12 meters LOA.

This is true for international waters, but inland rule 33 still requires a bell on a vessel over 12 meters. Most states still follow the inland rule as well, so if you are in US coastal waters (3 miles except in the Gulf of Mexico where the limit is 9 miles) and 12-20 meters your best bet is to carry the bell. The USCG may not give you a hard time outside of the colregs line, but the local water cops sure can. Rule from the inland section downloaded from the USCG today.

RULE 33
Equipment for Sound Signals
(a) A vessel of 12 meters or more in length shall be provided with a whistle
and a bell and a vessel of 100 meters or more in length shall, in addition, be
provided with a gong, the tone and sound of which cannot be confused with
that of the bell. The whistle, bell and gong shall comply with the
specifications in Annex lII to these Rules. The bell or gong or both may be
replaced by other equipment having the same respective sound
characteristics, provided that manual sounding of the prescribed signals

shall always be possible.


By the way yes I have one, but It's not mounted.

[Bill Burgette]

Couldn't a bell be a bit annoying in a rough sea. There are already creaks, groans, whines, singing lines, thumps, bangs, whoomps, and more. Are boats required to add clangs to the racket and would the water police be upset if the clanger thingy were removed and thrown into the sea by a drunk crew trying to sleep whilst on watch?

Just askin'

[markpierce]

Captain Bill, rule 33(b) in the pamphlet USCG Navigation Rules is the same for international (page 114) and inland waters (page 115): both say a bell isn't required on boats under 12 meters in length.

[Bill Burgette]

But you're supposed to have it on a 40 footer....right?

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Captain Bill, rule 33(b) in the pamphlet USCG Navigation Rules is the same for international (page 114) and inland waters (page 115): both say a bell isn't required on boats under 12 meters in length.

Sorry I misread the previous post. You are correct for a boat less than 12 meters. The recent change is for boats between 12 and 20 meters. Boats less than 12 meters were never required to carry a bell as far back as I can remember.

International Rule 33 Page 114

RULE 33

Equipment for Sound Signals

(a) A vessel of 12 meters or more in length shall be provided with a
whistle, a vessel of 20 meters or more in length shall be provided with a bell
in addition to a whistle, and a vessel of 100 meters or more in length shall,
in addition, be provided with a gong, the tone and sound of which cannot be
confused with that of the bell. The whistle, bell and gong shall comply with
the specifications in Annex lIl to these Regulations. The bell or gong or both
may be replaced by other equipment having the same respective sound
characteristics, provided that manual sounding of the prescribed signals

shall always be possible.


Inland Rule 33 Page 115

RULE 33

Equipment for Sound Signals

(a) A vessel of 12 meters or more in length shall be provided with a whistle
and a bell and a vessel of 100 meters or more in length shall, in addition, be
provided with a gong, the tone and sound of which cannot be confused with
that of the bell. The whistle, bell and gong shall comply with the
specifications in Annex lII to these Rules. The bell or gong or both may be
replaced by other equipment having the same respective sound
characteristics, provided that manual sounding of the prescribed signals

shall always be possible.

The inland rule still requires the bell between 12 and 20 meters. Forty feet is over 12 meters. Again most state regulations still require a bell between 12 and 20 meters even outside of the colregs line while inside state territorial waters in the US.

[zeehag]

i hve a lovely ships bell=mounted on forward portion of my mizzen mast-- when we were in calm before the storm before ensenada, the dang thing jumped off its secure mount...and the way is mounted, spontaneous jumping off the mount is not possible. no, the bell doesnt ring or clang during rough weather...LOL