Captains Store | Maritime Nautical Gifts

Ships Bells have a centuries-long tradition of varied use in the navies and merchant fleets of the world. Signaling, keeping time, and sounding alarms are important in a ship's routine and readiness. Their functional and ceremonial uses have made them a symbol of considerable significance to the world Navies.

Before the advent of the chronometer time at sea was measured by the trickle of sand through a half - hour glass. One of the ship's boys had the duty of watching the glass and turning it when the sand had run out. When he turned the glass, he struck the bell as a signal that he had performed this vital function. From this ringing of the bell as the glass was turned evolved the tradition of striking the bell once at the end of the first half hour of a four hour watch, twice after the first hour, etc., until eight bells marked the end of the four hour watch. The process was repeated for the succeeding watches. This age-old practice of sounding the bell on the hour and half hour has its place in the nuclear and missile oriented United States Navy at the dawn of the Twenty-First Century, regulating daily routine, just as it did on our historic vessels under sail in the late Eighteenth Century.

The sounding of a ship's bell found a natural application as a warning signal to other vessels in poor visibility and fog. In 1676 one Henry Teonage serving as a chaplain in the British Mediterranean Fleet recorded , "so great a fog that we were fain to ring our bells, beat drums, and fire muskets often to keep us from falling foul one upon another". Ringing a ship's bell in fog became customary. In 1858, British Naval Regulations made it mandatory in that function. Today, maritime law requires all ships to carry an efficient bell.

CAST BRASS SHIP S BELL BRAIDED LANYARD 5 1 2 DIA    £2.99

CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP REPARATA AND THE DELRONS BELL    £.90

Genuine Ships Bell French Tug TUMULTE sunk Dunkirk 1940    £122.00

CAST BRASS SHIPS BELL 6 inch diameter    £19.50

VERY LARGE HEAVY BRASS SHIPS BELL    £36.95

CAST BRASS SHIPS BELL 5 inch diameter    £16.00

VERY COLLECTABLE STEEL not brass ] Ship Anchor Bell    £.99

VINTAGE SETH THOMAS HELMSMAN BRASS SHIPS BELL CLOCK NR    £88.74

vintage ships marine SOLID BRASS ship wheel SHIPS BELL    £16.19

CAST IRON Sailboat Clipper ship DINNER ships bar BELL    £11.65

BRASS SHIPS BELL WITH BRACKET TITANIC Quality 5ins    £11.99

Bell Ships 5 inches x 45 niches old Brass    £5.00

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