Bells have a centuries-long tradition of varied use in the navies and merchant fleets of the world. They have been used for signaling, keeping time, and providing alarm. Their functional and ceremonial uses have made them a symbol of considerable significance to the United States Navy.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the shipboard bell was on the British ship Grace Dieu about 1485. The sounding of a ship’s bell found a natural application as a warning signal to other vessels in poor visibility and fog. Today, maritime law requires all ships to carry an efficient bell.

Before the advent of the chronometer time at sea was measured by the trickle of sand through a half - hour glass. One of the ship’s boys had the duty of watching the glass and turning it when the sand had run out. When he turned the glass, he struck the bell as a signal that he had performed this vital function. From this ringing of the bell as the glass was turned evolved the tradition of striking the bell once at the end of the first half hour of a four hour watch, twice after the first hour, etc., until eight bells marked the end of the four hour watch. The process was repeated for the succeeding watches. This age-old practice of sounding the bell on the hour and half hour has its place in the nuclear and missile oriented United States Navy at the dawn of the Twenty-First Century, regulating daily routine, just as it did on our historic vessels under sail in the late Eighteenth Century.The bell is an essential link in a ship’s fire alarm system. In the event of a fire, the bell is rung rapidly for at least five seconds, followed by one, two or three rings to indicate the location of a fire - forward, amidships, or aft respectively.

Originating in the British Royal Navy, it is a custom to baptize a child under the ship’s bell; sometimes the bell is used as a christening bowl, filled with water for the ceremony. Once the baptism is completed, the child’s name may be inscribed inside the bell. The bell remains with the ship while in service and with the Department of the Navy after decommissioning. In this way, an invisible tie is created between the country and its citizens. Bells have been loaned or provided to churches as memorials to those vessels; this practice has been discontinued in favor of displaying bells with namesake states or municipalities, with museums, and with naval commands and vessels.
In addition to continuing its role as a timepiece and alarm, the bell serves a ceremonial and memorial function. Bells remain a powerful and tangible reminder of the history, heritage, and accomplishments of the naval service.

See the United States Coast Guard website for accurate, up-to-date information about bell regulaltions at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/rules/Rule3233.htm