Signal Flag: Today’s Maritime Texting

What did one signal flag say to the other? 

Nothing, they just waved.

Alfa, Bravo, and Charlie are just the start of the signal flag series used to relay vital maritime messages. Think of these as yacht texting — up the halyard.

As part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), phonetic alphabet and number flags are symbols that many yacht crew know, including the yellow Q (Quebec) flag hoisted upon entry into a foreign port, which means “My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique” and the B (Bravo) flag, “I have explosives or I am refueling.” But there are more than 1,000 international signal flags in Publication 102: The International Code of Signals, known as Pub. 102.

To help people memorize the red, yellow, white, blue, and black symbols, three sailing friends combined their skills to create the mvSigFlags application. The mv in mvSigFlags stands for their method of “mnemonic visual” learning using association techniques.

According to mvSigFlags app creators, Russell Bourne, Nancy Bourne, and Robert Etheredge, the more unique and bizarre the associated images are, the better they work. The trio researched how people remember, and Nancy Bourne, a former teacher, recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and Florida Engineering Society’s Teacher of the Year, said that we have used rhymes, songs, and stories to memorize throughout our lives. Her former students, now adults, can still sing multiplication table songs.

Some familiar mnemonics include the Alphabet Song, HOMES for the U.S. Great Lakes, and ROY G. BIV for the color spectrum.

“Even silly ones get imprinted in your memory,” Etheredge, a seasoned sailor and software program developer, said. “The more outlandish, the better.”

Mnemonic examples for the signal flags in the app include:

• N (November) looks like a checkerboard for playing on a rainy [N]ovember day.
• J (Juliet) is a white stripe between two blue stripes which signify [J]uliet’s dead lips waiting for Romeo’s kiss.
• W (Whiskey) is a red square surrounded by a blue square and a white square, a red bloodshot eye from drinking too much (W)hiskey.
• F (Foxtrot) is a red diagonal square on white, the end of a (F)ox’s red tail disappearing down a hole. The F flag also means “I am disabled,” so the Fox is stuck in the hole and is disabled.

Some people believe flags have been replaced by electronics like celestial navigation and paper charts, but many mariners navigate more confidently with stars, paper, and physical flags as backups. Why not use all the tools available, asked Nancy Bourne.

‘Redundancy is important; when electronics go out, it could be a make-or-break situation to be safe, or save someone’s life,” she said. “When you are on a yacht in Croatia…, flags will help you communicate beyond language barriers. For example, flying a correct signal flag such as the single W (Whiskey) flag indicates the need for medical assistance and it communicates the message in any language.”

On inland waters like the Intracoastal Waterway, marine traffic can increase the chance of accidents.

“The likelihood is small that your chart plotter will fail when you enter into that area, but you need to be prepared to warn others,” said Russell Bourne, a licensed clinical psychologist, former university professor, and former CIA employee who trained with U.S. Navy Seals.

Some flags are just fun to know. Recently a sailboat came into harbor with a string of flags and the app developers asked bystanders if they could read the message.

“No one knew what it said,” Russell Bourne said. “It spelled, ‘Just Married.’”

“Not understanding is missing an opportunity to share your message. Humans like being in contact with each other. Language is the thing that distinguishes us. This is a way to communicate,” he said. “The goal of communication is to get the message in my head to be understood by you, and thus become the same message in your head.”

Another learning tool from the team is their free nautiMessage app. This is packed with one-, two-, or three-flag phrases from Publication 102, with some contemporary, and suggestive, edits for today’s users.

“These are authentic signals. A few may seem a bit racy but they can be fun in the right context,” said Russell Bourne.

Whether used in an emergency or in the dating scene, the phrases are concise and clear, Etheredge said.

“We’ve all gotten into Twitter with short messages and now our nautiMessage app continues that same trend.”

Both apps are available in app stores and the data can be downloaded. With cross-referencing, messages can be read even if crew do not know all the flags.

“There are numerous apps that display flags and letters, but none with helpful ways to hook the flags and their meanings in your memory. That’s the important difference,” Russell Bourne said of mvSigFlags.

A fan recommended the app’s game to gain speed and confidence.

“I hoist flags and read flags with the timing feature,” he said. “It’s a game, but it keeps me sharp. I enjoy it more than Sudoku.”

Check out these fun messages you can make using flags on the NautiMessages app!

Are you ready to get underway – SF1

Can you give me a light draft? – OG

Give me your number and I will call – YL

I have had too much to drink – MLE

May I enter your harbor? – UN1

Share these and more with the NautiMessages app.

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