Rule 37 & Annex IV · Distress
Continuous sounding (distress)
Continuous sounding with any fog-signalling apparatus indicates distress and need of assistance — Annex IV.
continuous
You hear: 3 prolonged blasts.
Meaning
Annex IV lists “a continuous sounding with any fog-signalling apparatus” among the distress signals used to indicate distress and need of assistance. Unlike every other signal, it never stops — that endlessness is what marks it as distress. Use only when in distress; the audio here plays a short excerpt.
Key facts
- Sounded by
- Vessel in distress and requiring assistance
- Repeated
- continuous
- Applies under
- International & US Inland
- Notation
- — — — … (continuous)
Related signals
Source: Rule 37 & Annex IV — USCG Navigation Rules (International & Inland)
Rule text is reproduced from the public-domain USCG Navigation Rules. Audio is synthesized to Rule 32 timings.