Nauticalia

Until the invention of two-way radio, flags were the primary means of communication between ships. The International Code of Flag Signals, at its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, listed literally thousands of phrases, for everything from berthing procedures to medical emergencies. The signals were made up of two, three and four flag hoists, and made comprehensive communication possible even between ships of different nationalities. Today, code flags are mainly used for ceremonial occasions and simple one flag messages such as A (I have a diver down) and Q (requesting customs clearance on arrival in foreign waters). We felt that it would be a shame to lose sight of such a (literally!) colourful language, so have resurrected some of the more interesting words for our new range of t-shirts.

T-SHIRTS are navy blue, printed on high quality heavyweight 100% cotton fabric with the full message and explanation on the back, and flags only on the front. They are tube-spun (so there are no itchy seams down the sides) and machine washable.