International Code of Signals - Single Letter

[JoeRobertJr]

By the way, to the forum, PrePilot.

I recommend that you add your location and type of boat to your profile. That will help others tailor their responses to you.

[Dr. D]

Sounds like you need to display the Not Under Command (NUC) signal. Though I don’t recall what that is.

[Cari Laut]

Not under command is not to be used for situations like this. NUC is defined as a vessel that due to some exceptional circumstance is unable to comply with the rules.

Choosing to be DIW is not an exceptional circumstance. It would be more along the lines of a loss of steering or propulsion.

[Cari Laut]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

^^^^^
Would this not be a RAM situation? Unable to maneuver due to nature of work being done?

Jim

In regards to your drilling/mining scenario, yes. As far as the mega yacht holding station, no.

[slipaway]

Not intending to be flippant, but how many recreational boaters would even recognize the M flag let alone know what it meant in the Interntional Code of Signals? I am going to speculate that very few would! That makes use of the signal of little practical value.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by slipaway

Not intending to be flippant, but how many recreational boaters would even recognize the M flag let alone know what it meant in the Interntional Code of Signals? I am going to speculate that very few would! That makes use of the signal of little practical value.

Likely only the OP that asked about Mike might know of it. A lot of boaters don't even know the basics of diver down and the Q flag is only well known by international voyagers.

And the day shapes are often not used or understood. When was the last time one saw an inverted cone being displayed by a sailboat that was underway, motor sailing with auxiliary power. Even the black ball at anchor day shapes tend to be scarce in many countries.

Presumably a vessel that is underway but not making way and not anchored would need to give way under the appropriate circumstances. Just because they aren't making way does not relieve them of moving. The Mike signal provides some guidance to other vessels that may be approaching and wondering why the boat is not making way.

Also, unless there is a breeze, most flag signals that are on vertical halyards just lay limp and one cannot see the display.

And then there is the whole aspect of color-blind navigators which can't distinguish between red and green. Good luck determining port and starboard lights and discern channel buoys except by shape.

My dad was red / green colorblind. Fortunately Stop signs are of a specific shape. But flashing yellow looks like flashing red so he would stop and determine if it was safe to proceed. During WWII he memorized the colorblindness test as he wanted to become a pilot, but the Army Air Corp opted to have become an officer and sent him to Officer Training School instead of pilot training. His choice of clothing could be "entertaining". See image below.

My mom had two different colored eyes, which made for fun to see person's reactions when they first noticed.

Most signal flags that I have seen are small, similar to the typical courtesy flags in size and mostly just for decorative use, so can only be discerned about the same time one is going to have a collision or allision. When one gets that close one can simply hail the other boat and ask them what the signal flag means. It might just be laundry drying in the breeze.

One should use a bit of caution when raising the decorative signal flags as you could inadvertently spell a word that others could take offense to. Four flags spelling a four letter word.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by Montanan

JoeRobertJr.

So there is a sound signal for stopped not making way status during restricted visibility.

Is there a defined light display to similarly indicate a stopped not making way status ["Mike" status] of a vessel for night? Or might night time become a situation of "restricted visibility" for this specific type of vessel status thus requiring making noise due to lack of a designated light display; that is to say, make noise in lieu of displaying lights to signal the stopped not making way status?

Light signals are defined precisely as sound signals, ie btw 2min a long signal sound or/and light (if I recall it was turn to stb? but not sure). Not to be confused to navigation lights..

[Ron Bailey]

Originally Posted by PrePilot

The meaning of the flag Mike is:

My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water.

My question is: can a anchored vessel, in totally calm waters, use this flag?

I ask this because some instructors say that this meaning is the same as "underway but not making way", and I cannot agree with this.

Kind regards,

Why not just use a black anchor ball? Ron

[rls8r]

Montanan (Re: Comment #21) -

I made myself a set of flags that conform (as closely as I could) to Annex D of NTP 13(B). The smallest 'nominal' letter flag that they have listed is 21" x 21" - so I went with that on my boat. That's quite different from the 'normal' 12" x 18" flags sold in recreational chandleries.

Shown below is my boat with "Splice the Mainbrace" ("AD28" using numeral flags rather than pennants) flying - to let my friends know that it's "Sundowner time." More people than I had expected seem to know what that is. Sometimes I'll run up "MLE" or "MQE2" below them or on the port side flag halyard.

I've also let my friends know that if they're ashore and it's time to leave - I'll fly the Blue Peter ("P" flag) to let them know to come back to the boat. Sure, I could call them on the phone, and I would if they haven't returned in a while, but this keeps them conscious of the boat.

[Montanan]

Nice.

What are the signal flags for BYOB?

[David Mathis]

If you intend to be legally compliant, the answer is no. Just run up an anchor ball so those near you understand your situation.

[CaptainDana]

Negative!! An anchored vessel is by no means underway. Flag Mike is interpretted as permission to safely pass close aboard. If you are anchored showing MIKE, you are presenting your ground tackle as an underwater hazard to navigation. In an anchorage, this vould cause all kinds of confusion.

[JoeRobertJr]

I've been hoping the OP, PrePilot, would stop by and thank everyone for clearing up their misunderstanding.

[Little John]

I am shure, the black ball, the anchor ball, is the right sign. With the
anchor ball, everybody knows this ship is not mobile, not under command, no watch.
If you are showing flag mike, your ship must be under watch, because you are under way!

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by Little John

I am shure, the black ball, the anchor ball, is the right sign. With the
anchor ball, everybody knows this ship is not mobile, not under command, no watch.
If you are showing flag mike, your ship must be under watch, because you are under way!

Adding the question of watch keeping may just confuse the issue, because then you have to talk about whether an anchored vessel is required under the rules to keep a watch.

The OP's issue is really just about Rule 18, Responsibilities Between Vessels.
The power driven vessel underway, but not making way (Mike flag) is still required to get out of the way of a vessel not under command (or restricted in ability to maneuver, or engaged in fishing, or a sailing vessel). A vessel at anchor is not required to weigh anchor and get out of the way.