Every half-hour the helmsman rang the ship’s bell to mark the passing of the ship’s watch. The first half hour the bell was struck once, for one bell. The last half hour of a four-hour ship’s watch was announced by height bells, referred to as eight Glasses. A ship at sea requires a constant watch throughout a 24-hour day. To divide the duty of the crew in three groups. Each group stood watch twice a day. To create rotation the afternoon watch was divided into two shorter watched, the dog-watches. As a result of this, the sound of the ship’s bell was well-listened to, and the ship’s bell itself became a symbol of value and respect. These ships’ bell are sand-casted in solid brass and are highly polished. All bells come complete with brackets for easy wall mounting. Handmade bell ropes are attached to the clappers. The bells are cast in the weight which give them a pleasing song relative to their size. The rich, deep sound of the bell increases with the size.
