Letters

When a boat is approaching a warship it is hailed from its deck with the word AHOY

November 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

I'm married to Michael Nock and he told me his grandfather Sir Norman named his beach house Ahoy....i didn't
understand that until I click on the website. Could you kindly share more details? 

Many thanks.

All the best,
Nancy Liu Nock


Nancy,

In the Navy, when a boat is approaching a warship it is hailed from its deck with the word AHOY!

In fact the boat is being asked to identify who it it has on board, eg

Traditionally, when used from a ship to hail an approaching boat, the standard responses are: "aye aye", if a commissioned officer is in the boat; "no no" - if no officer is in the boat; name of ship if the captain of another ship is in the boat; and "flag" if an admiral is in the boat.

I spent 20 years as a Naval Officer in the Royal Australian Navy having joined the Naval College as a 13 year old Cadet Midshipman in January of 1936.

We were sent to sea to join the Fleet in August 1939 as war was coming, and I spent the entire WW2 at sea.

Thus it seemed entirely appropiate to call my web Site:

AHOY. Mac's Web Log.

I trust this helps a little.

Best wishes,
Mac.

21/11/2010

Dear Mac,

Many thanks for your email. I'll forward this to my husband and the girls who are boarding in Geelong Grammar. May I ask you another question: why crimson velvet lined with ermine for Lords?

All the best,
Nancy Liu Nock


Nancy,

It is I believe a tradition for Coronation Robes,down the ges, see below.

PEERS' CORONATION ROBES


The Earl of Lichfield wearing his coronation robe and holding the coronet

In the last 300 years Peers' coronation robes have only been used twelve times -- at coronations.

They are made of crimson silk velvet, trimmed with white ermine and rows of black sealskin spots.

The rows extend around the full width of the cape, with half rows reaching from the right front edge to the centre back.

These spots subtly reveal a Peer's rank.

Duke  4 rows

Marquess  3½ rows

Earl  3 rows

Viscount  2½ rows

Baron  2 rows

Best regards,
Mac.

<http://www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/ceremonial-dress/municipal-robes/>*

<http://www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/ceremonial-dress/parliamentary-robes/>*


22 Nov 2010

Wow. Our friend Stanley Fink is going to be the working peer. We may have to go to London soon. I grew up in china so this is a lot of foreign info. I'm flying back to Melbourne on Friday.

You've been so enlightening. Thanks for all your time.

All the best,
Nancy Liu Nock

 


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