OPERATIONAL MARITIME ENGLISH

(DUI1064)

PİRİ REİS DMYO MARITIME ENGLISH-II

05/19/2025 ZTopac 1
 STCW CODE (Table A II/1)
COMPETENCE KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING METHODS FOR CRITERIA FOR
AND PROFICIENCY DEMONSTRATI EVALUATING
NG
COMPETENCE
COMPETENCE

Use the Adequate knowledge of the Examinatio English

Standard English language to enable n and language
Marine the officer to use charts and assessment navigational
Navigational other nautical publications, to of evidence publications
Vocabulary as understand meteorological obtained and messages
replaced by information and messages from relevant to
the IMO concerning ship's safety and practical the safety of
Standard operation, to communicate instruction the ship are
Marine with other ships and coast correctly
Communicatio stations and to perform the interpreted or
n Phrases and officer's duties also with a drafted
use English in multi- lingual crew, including Communicati
written and the ability to use and ons are clear
oral form understand the Standard and
Marine Navigational understood
Vocabulary as replaced by the
PİRİ REİS DMYO MARITIME ENGLISH-II
05/19/2025 IMO Standard
ZTopac Marine 2
 FOREWORD

I can hardly imagine a marine watchkeeping officer working in shipping

industry without knowing English. English became an obligation for an
engineering officer.

When you will be first abroad as a newly graduated cadet in future, the only
thing will have trouble most is being inadequate in English. You will blame both
yourself and your past school education for this. You will have experienced
through those years that English is very important for marine officers.
When you are aboard for the first time, you will notice that the engine
department.

Staff or instruction books can assist in improving yourself. All these instruction
books and manuals are written in English. If you have efficient technical
English knowledge, you can easily make use of these books; if not, it is up to
the staff to assist you or not in learning and improving your skills.
 FOREWORD- continued

Nowadays all indicators, gauges, labels, and instructions in machinery spaces

and the monitoring and control systems are all in English. Out of the inland
waterways, you will meet various circumstances that you will be in need of
English. For instance, you will communicate in English while you are taking
soundings on fuel barge at any foreign port. Any list of spare parts or
equipment for machinery spaces will be in English. Moreover, making new
friendships at various ports abroad depends upon your adequate performance
in English.

Consequently, being a good seafarer is dependent on person's competence

and performance in English.

Proficiency in the English language: all students must be fully proficient in that
language by the time they begin their studies. This means that they should be
fully acquainted with the fundamentals of the English language; i.e. in reading,
writing, listening, comprehension and speaking skills.

I hope this lecture will serve this.

 International Code of Signals
and
Signaling Procedures

Uluslararası İşaret Kod Kitabının

kullanılması
 HISTORY

• The First International Code of Signals was

drafted in 1855 by a Committee set up by the
British Board of Trade.
• It contained 70,000 signals using eighteen flags
and was published by the British Board of Trade
in 1857 in two parts; the first containing
universal and international signals and the
second British signals only.
• The book was adopted by most seafaring
nations.
• This early edition was revised by a Committee
set up in 1887 by the British Board of Trade.
 HISTORY

• The International Radiotelegraph Conference at

Washington in 1927 considered proposals for a
new revision of the Code and decided that it
should be prepared in seven languages, namely
in English, French, Italian, German, Japanese,
Spanish and in one Scandinavian language
which was chosen by the Scandinavian
Governments to be the Norwegian language.
• The new edition was completed in 1930 and was
adopted by the International Radiotelegraph
Conference held in Madrid in 1932.
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS
 The purpose of the International Code of Signals is

to provide ways and means of communication in

situations related essentially to safety of

navigation and persons, especially when language

difficulties arise.

 In the preparation of the Code, account was taken

of the fact that wide application of radiotelephony

and radiotelegraphy can provide simple and

effective means of communication in plain

language whenever language difficulties do not

EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

The signals used consist of:

 Single-letter signals allocated to

significations which are very urgent,
important, or of very common use;

 Two-letter signals for General Signal

Code,

 Three-letter signals beginning with “M”

for Medical Signal Code,
Signals can be sorted into three
groups:
1. Single-letter signals which are
very urgent, important, or
common. Examples:
“C” - Yes or Affirmative

“H” - I have a Pilot Onboard

2. Two-letter signals for other
messages, sometimes followed
with a numeric "complement"
that supplements or modifies
the message. Example:
DJ : Do you require a boat?
JI 4 What part of your vessel is aground?
3. Three-letter signals beginning
with "M" – these are the Medical
Signal Codes. Example:

“MUC” – Give water only in small

quantities
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

The Code follows the basic principle

that each signal should have a
complete meaning.
This principle is followed throughout
the Code; in certain cases complements
are used, where necessary to
supplement the available groups.
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

Complements express:
 Variations in the meaning of the
basic signal.

Examples:
“CP” = “I am (or vessel indicated is)
proceeding to your assistance.”
“CP 1” = “SAR aircraft is coming to
your assistance.”
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

 Questions concerning the same basic

subject or basic signal.

Examples:
“DY” = “Vessel (name or identity
signal) has sunk in lat . . . long. . . .”.
“DY 4” = “What is the depth of water
where vessel sank?”
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

 Answers to a question or request

made by the basic signal.

Examples:
“HX” = “Have you received any
damage in collision?”
“HX 1” = “I have received serious
damage above the waterline”.
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

Text in brackets indicates:

 an alternative, e.g.:“. . . (or survival
craft). . .”;
 information which may be
transmitted if it is required or if it is
available, e.g.: “. . . (position to be
indicated if necessary)”;
 an explanation of the text.
 DEFINITIONS
• Visual signaling is any method of
communication, the transmission of
which is capable of being seen.
• Sound signaling is any method of
passing Morse signals by means of
siren, whistle, foghorn, bell, or other
sound apparatus.
• Originator is the authority who orders
a signal to be sent.
 DEFINITIONS
• Identity signal or call sign is the group
of letters and figures assigned to each
station by its administration.
• Station means a ship, aircraft, survival
craft, or any place at which
communications can be effected by any
means.
• Station of origin is that station where
the originator submits a signal for
transmission, irrespective of the method
of communication employed.
 DEFINITIONS
• Transmitting station is the station by
which a signal is actually being made.
• Addressee is the authority to whom a
signal is addressed.
• Station of destination is that station in
which the signal is finally received by the
addressee.
• Receiving station is the station by
which a signal is actually being read.
 DEFINITIONS

• Procedure denotes the rules drawn up

for the conduct of signaling.
• Procedure signal is a signal designed
to facilitate the conduct of signaling.
• Time of origin is the time at which a
signal is ordered to be made.
 METHODS OF SIGNALING

The methods of signaling which may be used

are:

 Flag signaling, the flags used for signalling.

 Flashing light signaling, using the Morse

symbols

 Sound signaling, using the Morse symbols

METHODS OF SIGNALING

 Voice over a loud hailer.

 Radiotelegraphy. (From now on not in

use)

 Radiotelephony.

 Morse signaling by hand flags or arms.

METHODS OF SIGNALING
Flag signaling

A set of signal flags consists of twenty-

six alphabetical flags, ten numeral
pennants, three substitutes, and the
answering pennant.
METHODS OF SIGNALING
Flashing light and sound signaling

The Morse symbols representing letters,

numerals, etc., are expressed by dots
and dashes which are signaled either
singly or in combination. The dots and
dashes and spaces between them should
be made to bear the following ratio, one
to another, as regards their duration:
METHODS OF SIGNALING
Flashing light and sound signaling

 A dot is taken as the unit;

 A dash is equivalent to three units;
 The space of time between any two
elements of a symbol is equivalent to
one unit; between two complete symbols
it is equivalent to three units; and
between two words or groups it is
equivalent to seven units.
METHODS OF SIGNALING
Voice over a loud hailer

Whenever possible plain language

should be used but where a language
difficulty exists groups from the
International Code of Signals could be
transmitted using the phonetic spelling
tables.
 EXPLANATION AND GENERAL
REMARKS

 Supplementary, specific or detailed

information.

Examples:
“IN” = “I require a diver”.
“IN 1” = “I require a diver to clear
propeller”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHVzFzrSZmg (10 min - International maritime signal flags and their meaning | nautical
alphabet flags | maritime flags)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUKEJsyWaHU (5 min - MARITIME ENGLISH/Letters of International