For the last two years I've been staring at the bell on my 44 trying to decide where to mount it. Where has every one else mounted it? Any suggestions on where you wish you mounted it?
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anyplace!
Kevin: I think that having a bell is just a legal issue and is of little value. We mounted ours on a cabinet (down below). We have a bell, I do not know if there is any requirement that it is "legally mounted".
Kevin: I think that having a bell is just a legal issue and is of little value. We mounted ours on a cabinet (down below). We have a bell, I do not know if there is any requirement that it is "legally mounted".
Bell on a boat
Landsend, the reason you do not sell the bell at the next garage sale is that it is a requirement on a 44 ft boat to have a bell and a horn. Read the Rules of the road and you might learn about this and become a safer boater. Paul s/v Lady Sara
Landsend, the reason you do not sell the bell at the next garage sale is that it is a requirement on a 44 ft boat to have a bell and a horn. Read the Rules of the road and you might learn about this and become a safer boater. Paul s/v Lady Sara
OK, waiting,,,,,,,, still waiting,,,,,,
Somebody, in modern times MUST HAVE USED A BELL,,,,waiting,,,,,. It's just that I've not heard of it happening. Archaic stuff. Who anchors in fog outside of an anchorage and rings a bell so all of the other vessels going past will hear the bell and not hit him? The CG has never asked to see a bell during any boardings of my boat. That rule is right out of the nineteenth century. Do you have a wheel made of stainless? If the local 18year old park ranger boards your boat for an 'inspection', (yeah, right!) just pick up a winch handle and tap your wheel. The sound meets the spirit of the 'rule'.
Somebody, in modern times MUST HAVE USED A BELL,,,,waiting,,,,,. It's just that I've not heard of it happening. Archaic stuff. Who anchors in fog outside of an anchorage and rings a bell so all of the other vessels going past will hear the bell and not hit him? The CG has never asked to see a bell during any boardings of my boat. That rule is right out of the nineteenth century. Do you have a wheel made of stainless? If the local 18year old park ranger boards your boat for an 'inspection', (yeah, right!) just pick up a winch handle and tap your wheel. The sound meets the spirit of the 'rule'.
Hi Kevin, our bell has a dove tail type mounting..
bracket that allows me to move it between its normal location above the forward cabin passageway hatch and my teak binocular holder that I keep at the helm when underway. That way if we end up at anchor in the fog we can use it to alert other boaters. To help make Fred happier I offer the following; ding ding, ding ding, ding ding. Terry
bracket that allows me to move it between its normal location above the forward cabin passageway hatch and my teak binocular holder that I keep at the helm when underway. That way if we end up at anchor in the fog we can use it to alert other boaters. To help make Fred happier I offer the following; ding ding, ding ding, ding ding. Terry
According to the inland rules
(Great Lakes, Western rivers) a vessel of 12 meters or longer (39.6 feet) must carry a whistle and a bell. According to the International rules governing coastal waterways a vessel of 20 meters (65 ft.) or longer must carry a whistle (or horn) and a bell. The principle behind carrying a bell in addition to a whistle or horn is that they are deemed to be electrical or compressed gas powered and the bell can be manually operated in case of failure. A cooking pot and a spoon have been used very effectively. So Kevin, unless you are willing to install the bell in the cockpit where it could be of use you may install it inside the cabin where it may esthetically please you. If you ever sail the Great Lakes you would be covered as the Colregs do not specify location. The majority of us do not sail 65' vessels so the issue of a bell is mute. Please understand that a real bell should not be confused with the brass replicas sold by marine retailers. As a piece of safety equipment they are probably worthless.
(Great Lakes, Western rivers) a vessel of 12 meters or longer (39.6 feet) must carry a whistle and a bell. According to the International rules governing coastal waterways a vessel of 20 meters (65 ft.) or longer must carry a whistle (or horn) and a bell. The principle behind carrying a bell in addition to a whistle or horn is that they are deemed to be electrical or compressed gas powered and the bell can be manually operated in case of failure. A cooking pot and a spoon have been used very effectively. So Kevin, unless you are willing to install the bell in the cockpit where it could be of use you may install it inside the cabin where it may esthetically please you. If you ever sail the Great Lakes you would be covered as the Colregs do not specify location. The majority of us do not sail 65' vessels so the issue of a bell is mute. Please understand that a real bell should not be confused with the brass replicas sold by marine retailers. As a piece of safety equipment they are probably worthless.
It's from the dark ages...
Paul, get with it, the requirements are for a sound producing device and there are certainly better things than a bell. Hang it on the bar at home to announce happy hour. Having a bell doesn't produce a safer staying current with the times and using common sense does.
Paul, get with it, the requirements are for a sound producing device and there are certainly better things than a bell. Hang it on the bar at home to announce happy hour. Having a bell doesn't produce a safer staying current with the times and using common sense does.
What we did...
We had to resolve the same dilemma on a new H41. We attached the bell's little itty-bitty dovetail bracket on the teak side bulkhead just inside the companionway. Don't notice it there. And the bell itself is stashed away behind a settee cushion, where we could access it when necessary. Bell just slips on to the bracket for use should we ever have to. This installation recommendation came from a gentleman at Fawcetts in Annapolis. The rest of his idea was that for us to use it "from the cockpit," we might have to attach an extra long lanyard to work the striker.
We had to resolve the same dilemma on a new H41. We attached the bell's little itty-bitty dovetail bracket on the teak side bulkhead just inside the companionway. Don't notice it there. And the bell itself is stashed away behind a settee cushion, where we could access it when necessary. Bell just slips on to the bracket for use should we ever have to. This installation recommendation came from a gentleman at Fawcetts in Annapolis. The rest of his idea was that for us to use it "from the cockpit," we might have to attach an extra long lanyard to work the striker.
I mounted mine...
...on the teak cup holder (starboard side) on the pedestal - still within reach of the helmsman. The dovetail mounting bracket has been there for 8 years, but the bell has never been mounted except during USCG Auxiliary courtesy inspections. My plan is to keep it near for when I do need it. It stays below, still in it's bag, unless I will need it. The USCG says it is unnecessary because I could rap my 41" steel wheel with a screw driver handle to get the same effect.
...on the teak cup holder (starboard side) on the pedestal - still within reach of the helmsman. The dovetail mounting bracket has been there for 8 years, but the bell has never been mounted except during USCG Auxiliary courtesy inspections. My plan is to keep it near for when I do need it. It stays below, still in it's bag, unless I will need it. The USCG says it is unnecessary because I could rap my 41" steel wheel with a screw driver handle to get the same effect.
Tom, in my opinion yes according
to the Colreg demarcation lines. There are special inland restrictions for the canals. Unless you already know the answer you may want to contact the USCG in your area for clarification. Researching the rules I was able to find out a couple of things; there are exemptions regarding the use of bells for vessels under impaired visibility. Vessels under 20 meters are exempt when at anchor or aground provided they have other means of signaling. (a pot and a spoon) I also found that under inland rules a vessel is required to have aboard a copy of the inland regulations. The bell is compulsory under the regs and for a vessel from 12 to 20 meters the diameter of the mouth must be 200 mm or approx. 8 inches and produce 110 decibels at 1 meter. My largest boat is 32' so I was not really current with the bell requiremnts so this has been an opportunity to learn.
to the Colreg demarcation lines. There are special inland restrictions for the canals. Unless you already know the answer you may want to contact the USCG in your area for clarification. Researching the rules I was able to find out a couple of things; there are exemptions regarding the use of bells for vessels under impaired visibility. Vessels under 20 meters are exempt when at anchor or aground provided they have other means of signaling. (a pot and a spoon) I also found that under inland rules a vessel is required to have aboard a copy of the inland regulations. The bell is compulsory under the regs and for a vessel from 12 to 20 meters the diameter of the mouth must be 200 mm or approx. 8 inches and produce 110 decibels at 1 meter. My largest boat is 32' so I was not really current with the bell requiremnts so this has been an opportunity to learn.
Where to mount the bell
Kevin - Mount the bell where you can reach its lanyard while standing at the helm. On a 12meter-or-longer vessel, the USCG regs mandate a bell, and its minimum size. My own vessel is only 36ft, but I am a single-hander who sometimes sails in fog. I have an Icom VHF with a built-in fog horn that plays through a speaker mounted under the radome on my mast. The bell is an obvious back-up that needs no battery power. However, I count on the bell as a supplement (between the every-2-minute horn blasts) when coming over the Merrimac river entrance bar and up-stream to Newburyport harbor when traffic hasn't reduced as much as visibility. For the same get-the-moron's-attention reason, I've used it as a backup to my can-of-air signal horn. Mine is the cheapest Weems & Plath model, with a trapezoidal-shaped plate that fits into a permanent mount on my stern pulpit rail. I detach the bell and keep it below when off the boat. I consider a bell to be a common sense piece of necessary equipment, and don't need any fear-of-the-law inducements to use one, anymore than with seatbelts (which I learned to appreciate in race track driving, long before the legal requirements).
Kevin - Mount the bell where you can reach its lanyard while standing at the helm. On a 12meter-or-longer vessel, the USCG regs mandate a bell, and its minimum size. My own vessel is only 36ft, but I am a single-hander who sometimes sails in fog. I have an Icom VHF with a built-in fog horn that plays through a speaker mounted under the radome on my mast. The bell is an obvious back-up that needs no battery power. However, I count on the bell as a supplement (between the every-2-minute horn blasts) when coming over the Merrimac river entrance bar and up-stream to Newburyport harbor when traffic hasn't reduced as much as visibility. For the same get-the-moron's-attention reason, I've used it as a backup to my can-of-air signal horn. Mine is the cheapest Weems & Plath model, with a trapezoidal-shaped plate that fits into a permanent mount on my stern pulpit rail. I detach the bell and keep it below when off the boat. I consider a bell to be a common sense piece of necessary equipment, and don't need any fear-of-the-law inducements to use one, anymore than with seatbelts (which I learned to appreciate in race track driving, long before the legal requirements).
Bell on H41
Hi I too pondered for a while and then found a spot on the bimini support just above the wheel. I have a regulation 8" bell which I keep below and bring up and fix it in the bracket I have on the bimini support rail when weather conditions warrant it. It is useless mounting it below as it would not produce enough sound when below decks to be heard by other boats in reduced visability. I'm amazed once more that folks with these nice expensive boats do not know the legal/ safty requirements for their vessels, still hopefully those that read some of the posts will at least learn.
Hi I too pondered for a while and then found a spot on the bimini support just above the wheel. I have a regulation 8" bell which I keep below and bring up and fix it in the bracket I have on the bimini support rail when weather conditions warrant it. It is useless mounting it below as it would not produce enough sound when below decks to be heard by other boats in reduced visability. I'm amazed once more that folks with these nice expensive boats do not know the legal/ safty requirements for their vessels, still hopefully those that read some of the posts will at least learn.
In its box next to the Flares
I have always kept mine in the original box in a cabinet below. I have never had the occasion to use it. I have been boarded by the coast guard and that location was fine with them. Bill
I have always kept mine in the original box in a cabinet below. I have never had the occasion to use it. I have been boarded by the coast guard and that location was fine with them. Bill
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