# Norwegian Fog Horn



## John Campbell

Every time we had an LSA inspection in the 60s and 70s we always had to produce , along with the rockets, life jackets etc. a big box called the "Norwegian Hand powered fog horn". 
Is this monster still a requirement and can anyone ever recall using one for real.
?
JC


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## gdynia

John

They are on our old built vessels but not our new ones. Dont think I ever saw a one used in anger


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## janbonde

Was involved in a long tow in the fifties, I was on the towed vessel and we had to use it when we encountered fog at Gibraltar.


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## R58484956

What denotes a length at which a ship/barge has to be towed. Passed one in the Red Sea once and we reckon it was about a quarter of a mile long if not slightly longer. One said it was a half mile +. True or false.


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## Duncan112

gdynia said:


> John
> 
> They are on our old built vessels but not our new ones. Dont think I ever saw a one used in anger


Seen one used in the bar a few times though!!


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## Steve Woodward

Norwegian Foghorns are still carried on some ships, last one I saw it on it was stowed next to the contols for the two becker rudeers, two propellers three forward thrusts and two after thrusters and the DP controls
Steve W


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## billyboy

*tow line*



R58484956 said:


> What denotes a length at which a ship/barge has to be towed. Passed one in the Red Sea once and we reckon it was about a quarter of a mile long if not slightly longer. One said it was a half mile +. True or false.


Think it all depends on the size of what you are towing. Once towed a floating crane with a wee TID tug, we had 300mtrs of hawser between us and the bridle.
I know we have some Tuggies on site. maybe they know of a formula about deciding the length of the hawser


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## Geoff_E

Nothing denotes the length of a tow, as in how much wire/rope you put out. That's partly a function of the water depth (don't want the wire touching the bottom), partly a function of the weather (long wire length imparts "spring" effect) you also need to take into account traffic conditions and your own manoeuvring requirements.

NB; I'm only a Warranty Surveyor, where are the professional Tug Masters? (Alan Stockwell, speak up!!)


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## Pete Legg

We had one in the Barque Lord Nelson. Don't know if it's still onboard. And we did actually use it on at least one occassion due to a fault in our auto fog signal.

Regards. Pete.


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## gdynia

R58484956 said:


> What denotes a length at which a ship/barge has to be towed. Passed one in the Red Sea once and we reckon it was about a quarter of a mile long if not slightly longer. One said it was a half mile +. True or false.


We never use any formular its what you are happy with and the power of the vessel. On deep sea tows we stretched the wire out and every 12 hours either hauled it in or slacked it out a few metres to reduce wear in one place. In coastal waters we always shortened the tow so it was practible to manouvere safely. Towing semi subs from Europe to Gulf of Mexico a quarter of a mile was the norm


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## billyboy

Norwegian fog horn ... never used one myself. had a bosun who could impersonate one after a run ashore topped of with ******* and mushy peas...LOL


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## David Davies

*Rotary Fog Horn*

Sorry to be such a "know all" but historically the rotary fog horn had been in use for many years prior to being improved by the adaptation of the Norwegian Reed when it became known as the "Norwegian Reed Fog Horn" . Each instrument had a set of spare reeds included with it. I've used it under sail but as it was so bulky it was replaced in the 80's with an aerosol device wich was far more compact and had a higher decibel rating. As I left the MN in 63 I don't know if the aerosol fog horn was adopted in commercial shipping


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## B.Nicholson

John Campbell said:


> Every time we had an LSA inspection in the 60s and 70s we always had to produce , along with the rockets, life jackets etc. a big box called the "Norwegian Hand powered fog horn".
> Is this monster still a requirement and can anyone ever recall using one for real.
> ?
> JC


It is not a requierement anymore. Infact no way. but in the (old) days anyone who's job it was during boat drills to work that thing usually lost the skin of his knuckles on the lifeboat thwarts
Bob


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## James_C

It seems to have been a requirement until only a few years ago.
Certainly I was on a ship built in 1999 which had a brand new Norwegian Foghorn supplied in the yard.


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## Klaatu83

I never heard it called a "Norwegian" fog horn, but I have seen them and actually heard one used. In 1975 I was on the USNS Bowditch, which was an old World War II Victory ship. We were operating as a hydrographic survey ship in the Grand Banks, where there's fog more often then not. The Old Man decided that the whistle wasn't loud enough, so he ordered the 1st Engineer to increase the steam pressure. As a result, the whistle was blown out, and we had to resort to the fog horn. It was made of wood and brass, and was about the size of a suitcase. We placed it on the bridge wing and one of the A.B.s pumped it every two minutes. It sounded like a loud fart.


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## Peter Fielding

The only time I came across one at sea was when the 2nd. mate (I think), lugged this contraption into the bar during a rather well-lubricated social evening, apparently in a misguided attempt to provide some "music".
Years later I was in a pub at home, when two young chaps started discussing the purpose of a mysterious device on display in a corner. When I identified it to them as a Norwegian foghorn, they fell about laughing, and seemed to think I was trying some sort of Monty Python - type wind-up. So I demonstrated it to them - I think I'm still not welcome in that pub!


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## eldersuk

Never mind the Norwegian Foghorn, do we still have to carry the six wooden buckets of sand?

Derek


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## GRAHAM D

A member of our office staff did a trip, as passenger, on the Elk back in the mid 1980's. The morning after a particularly heavy night he went into the Chief Engineers cabin and fell asleep in the chair. Out came the Norwegian Fog horn and was placed on the table in front of the poor victim and operated. I reckon, judging by how far he jumped, it'd make a pretty good defibrillator. It certainly brought him back to life.


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## Knut

Had them in all Norwegian ships. Wooden box with leather bellows and crank. Understood it was supposed to be a spare used in case the regular fog horn broke down. Usually stowed in a locker on the bridge, along with the brass gong we used aft when anchored in fog. Absolutely useless as fog horn,except in a dead calm when it might be heard a few meters. 
Knut.


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## mpkk

Used the Norwegian Fog Horn regularly - Couple of cartons and a bottle of Scotch fitted neatly inside - Customs never sussed it.


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## China hand

*Smack!*

MarconiSahib will remember days of bridge deck cabins. One loo. MS's but also the bridge emergency WeeWee stop. Unwritten rule:- door open at night!!
Young 3rd Mate, caught short, pipe in mouth, door closed; smack, dirty pants, busted pipe. Unspeakable comments to Sparky ( pissed, playing St.Memphis Blues on trumpet): "Hey Man, You just crapped yourself". I think I'm going to cry, the memory is so good.


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## K urgess

It was the walk all the way down two decks to the officer's showers in nowt but a towel that could become something of an ordeal. They used to wait in ambush for a poor unsuspecting sparkie on the way to his ablutions. Mind you, even if you made it, you could end up having to "streak" back if they nicked your towel. Safer to take it into the shower with you even if it did get wet.
Especially on the Aussie coast when all the "wives" were onboard.
Life was simpler if I lived in officer country with everyone else but it got a bit boring with ensuite bathrooms.
Interesting calls sometimes for a temporary relief so that the second or third mate could make use of the facilities.
But make sure the throne room's port was open otherwise the cabin became uninhabitable. [=P]
We all tended to make sure the Norwegian Fog Horn was stored INSIDE the loo.


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## david freeman

All these antiquated but hand held instruments like the Ships Bell on the bow, and the old style BA with the bellows, one may take the wee wee, but imagine if one is adrift, not in a life boat, but on your vessel: Then with nothing else but to pray, and ships standby oil lamps; You are naked. I was on a ship total power and engine boiler room failure for 11 days ( In the 60/70's)in the Indian Ocean> Luckily no bad weather, but in trying to fix the problems one is then glad of any hand operated/held aids, and the inginuity of ones colleagues.. So while these things where out of the ark what modern day aids would you use to aid navigation, and restoration of power. The Class are good at the emergency blackout equipment, but if a battery or spares are only available at the next port-Do you sail if you have two aux generators and normal power: But as I say the god lord and events may overtake you and one then has to think? What if? God Bless you, and some of the hand operated equipment, even the lifeboat equipment is useful.


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## sven-olof

In Swedish ships those vere obligare
Kockums tyfon.

heres a picture fron a fake one

http://www.shiphorns.com/faketyfons.html


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## Knut

*Kockums Supertyfon*

I often wish I had a Kockums Supertyfon in my car. Especially when I find myself behind Woman Drivers who are COMMUNICATING with the lady in the next seat or on the telephone sending an SMS. I would even rip out a seat or two if necessary.
Knut.


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## John_F

Knut said:


> I often wish I had a Kockums Supertyfon in my car. Especially when I find myself behind Woman Drivers who are COMMUNICATING with the lady in the next seat or on the telephone sending an SMS. I would even rip out a seat or two if necessary.
> Knut.


From memory, it took a few turns of the handle to get it to produce the required blast. Wish I had one now - it would certainly get my family out of bed in the morning.
Kind regards,
John.


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## Pat Kennedy

I remember delivering a truck load of safety equipment to a P&O newbuild (I think it was Panther or Lion) fitting out in the shipyard in LeHavre in 1980. The French Customs had a good read of my manifest when I disembarked off the ferry with this load and wanted to see this Norwegian fog horn, which in accordance with sod's law, was stowed under everything else. An hour later I unearthed it, by which time the 'Douane' had lost interest and wandered off .I have hated Norwegian fog horns ever since.
Pat(MAD)


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## captain61

Sailed with OCL boxboats in late 80s early 90s they still had them on the bridge as a back up, just in case all the new fangled stuff concked out


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## Ghost

When re-flaging *to* British flag, the DTI survey made sure a norwegion fog horn was on board, as well as that hand operated air bellows. And that was late eighty eight, how time flys.


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