speaking trumpet

[Robert The Gray]

hey Tim Nathan,

how did you communicate on your cruise while underway? did you use hand held walki talki's, or your vhf? While I am out sailing on the weekend, it is nice to just give someone a hail. or say looking good and be heard. I was thinking of using a speaking trumpet sometimes because I do not know how to use flags. I looked on some school spirit supplies sites and found some inexpensive magephones, but I would love to find some old brass trumpet from back in the day. give the other fellow a hail and stop to gam, just like the whalers. I doubt there is much out here in the fresh land of the west, "old" to us is around 1930 it seems. but have you guys seen anything in some of those "nautical curio shops" you got out there?

robert

[Jason K]

Maybe you could attach something like this to your stern pulpit:




:)

[dasein668]

Nah, I haven't seen anything like that around here. Would be a neat find, though. eBay?

While underway we used vhf. At anchor we used dinghy.

[Rachel]

Jason,

Where was that photo taken. What's the scoop on the horn?

R.

[Jason K]

I don't have a clue! (That's a general statement)

I just Googled trumpet and clicked on images. I simply posted the most goofy trumpet I could find with a vaquely nautical theme.

Then I started thinking about how much fun that would be on a Wednesday night race. You'ld have plenty of room at the mark if you were on the poop deck hoopin' and hollerin' with that thing. Yup, I'm getting one. People are starting to catch on to this one:

Me: Oh My God! Do you see that boat?!

Helm: No, where!?!

Me: Dead ahead! It's Dixie Chick!! I think we're going to hit 'em!!

Crew Refrain: AAAHHHHHHH!!!! (supplemented by the sound of rolling beer cans as we gybe around the mark)

[FloatingMoneyPit]

Just go to your local high school and ask the cheerleading squad for one! nothing like hometown pride aboard.

There's something that looks sorta trumpet shaped on the Rhodes Ranger pics posted in another thread here. The one called "Good Old Boat", maybe under Ramblings. In the photo of the Ranger "Racoon", looking aft at the galley, it's mounted on the starboard bulkhead above the settee.
Curious to know what it is, if it ain't a trumpet.

[Tim]

There's something that looks sorta trumpet shaped on the Rhodes Ranger pics posted in another thread here.

That's an old-fashioned manual horn (sound signal).

[Rachel]

I have one of those horns - had it aboard a small (15') tugboat I used to have. When a friend saw it in my storage locker a few winters ago, he asked me the same thing, "What's it for?" Of course, I stupidly had to demonstrate (I like the way it sounds).

Don't honk one in Minnesota in January, is all I have to say!

(Unless maybe you have a plastic one, that doesn't stick...)

---Rachel
_

[CharlieJ]

Rachel- we should have shown you our conch shell horn aboard Tehani. It's LOUD!!

We were in a gathering of cruisers two years ago (aboard our other sailboat) and many were making noises with their mouth operated horns. I brought out the conch shell, let'er rip and every one else gave up :)

By the way Robert- the old time ships megaphones were often made of leather. You could easily make one- just use some heavy paper , roll it into a cone shape til you are satisfied, then use that as a pattern. Stitch the leather together like you would an oar loom protection leather. Would be much easier to store than a rigid one also.

[Robert The Gray]

thanks charley that is a great idea. do they have some kind of mouth piece or riged ring at the opening?

[CharlieJ]

I'd think they most likely had some sort of mouth piece. You wouldn't really need one though- just make the mouth end large enough to fit over your mouth, maybe with a curve in it. I suppose you could lace a wooden ring or a rope grommet around it to. The important thing is the megaphone I'd think- make it a tab larger and it should be loud.

You can try out lots of shapes and sizes with a piece of cardboard and some tape- cheaply too *grin*

I can find references to "leather speaking trumpets" but no pictures.

Have fun with it- just trying something is half the fun anyway