Why Do Ships Have a Bell?
Number of bells Bell Pattern
One bell 1 12:30 AM
Two bells 2 1 1:00
Three bells 2 1 1:30
Four bells 2 2 2:00
Five bells 2 2 1 2:30
Six bells 2 2 2 3:00
Seven bells 2 2 2 1 3:30
Eight bells 2 2 2 2 4:00
• All ships were required to have a non-electrical signaling device.
• Ship's bells are also used for safety in foggy conditions, their most important modern use.
• On US naval vessels, bells additionally are rung as "boat gongs" for officers and dignitaries coming aboard or leaving the ship l
• At midnight on New Year’s Eve, 16 bells would be struck – eight bells for the old year and eight bells for the new.
• When a sailor has died, he or she can be honored with the sounding of eight bells: meaning "end of the watch". The term "eight bells" can also be used in an obituary, as a nautical euphemism for finished.
