This site is not yet complete, but check out the new photo gallery:



And the new audio video clip page:



This site will be the first ship's horn and whistle museum on the web. Shiphorns.com maintains the second largest mobile collection of marine air horns and whistles in the world. The topic of the site is Class I and II ship horns past and present. This will include everything from ocean liner steam horns and whistles up through modern air horns and electic piston horns, and also the use of marine horns for stationary signalling by fire departments (fire horns).


Is it called the ship's whistle, or the ship's horn?

Big ships had whistles first, and it is still customary to refer to the ship's primary audible signalling device as the "ship's whistle". However, large ships being built today have either air horns or electric horns, neither of which are whistle type mechanisms. Because I intend for this site to be somewhat technical in nature, only true whistles will be referred to as whistles, and diaphragm or piston horns will be referred to as horns.

The site will include photos, sounds, video and technical documentation on all manner of horns and whistles found on large ocean-going vessels, including steam and air Tyfon™ horns, steam whistles, steam sirens and lightship fog horns.

The Horn Truck, June 2006


The Horn Truck, June 2005


Tyfon™ is a trademark of Kockumsonics of Malmö, Sweden

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