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[[Image:Bell.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Ringing the ship's bell]]

[[Image:Bell.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Ringing the ship's bell]]

A '''Ship's bells''' are used to indicate time onboard ship. One bell sounds for each half hour. Bells are rung in pairs to make it easier to count.<ref>http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/shipbee.htm</ref>  Thus, for a watch starting at 12:00, one bell means 12:30, two bells mean 1:00, two bells pause 1 bell means 1:30, and so on until 4:00 ("eight bells"). This cycle starts again for the next watch.

A '''Ship's bells''' are used to indicate time onboard ship. One bell sounds for each half hour.<ref>U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration [http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/glossary/glossary.html]</ref> Bells are rung in pairs to make it easier to count.<ref>http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/shipbee.htm</ref>  Thus, for a watch starting at 12:00, one bell means 12:30, two bells mean 1:00, two bells pause 1 bell means 1:30, and so on until 4:00 ("eight bells"). This cycle starts again for the next watch.

The use of 30 minutes as the interval between bells originates from the use of a half hour glass to keep time.  Each half hour, the glass would be flipped and the appropriate count of the bell would be rung.<ref>http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq83-1.htm</ref>

The use of 30 minutes as the interval between bells originates from the use of a half hour glass to keep time.  Each half hour, the glass would be flipped and the appropriate count of the bell would be rung.<ref>http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq83-1.htm</ref>